League Of Melancholy
by Izunyan
Summary: During a power outage, a regular League player is met by the last person he'd ever imagine meeting; his summoned champion, Riven. With mostly the normal capabilities of a regular person, the Exile struggles with regular tasks such as: Finding a job, driving, and cooking as she finds out what brought her to Earth and how to return everything to normal.
1. Gank Top Already!

**I decided to give this a shot: I saw many stories of a person or group being sucked into the League universe so I thought "The opposite sounds like it'd be interesting." I ended up deciding on Riven because it's all I've been playing during pre-season 5 pretty much. Once again, I hope it's not shunned by the community but nothing ventured, nothing gained. Appreciate feedback!**

**Don't own League, Riot, McDonald's, or Nissan by any means. Pls don't sue, I am poor.**

* * *

"Go, go, c'mon," I said, clicking a few times as I stared at the bottom right of my computer screen.

It was another normal Friday night; after work, I would get on League of Legends with friends and play a few games before going to sleep. I leaned back slightly on the computer chair, adjusted my headset, and returned to my normal sitting position as the wave of minions clashed in the top lane.

"Come up after blue, we can probably kill him. I'm going aggressive as hell," I said, as I clicked on the low health minions. I had chosen Riven as my champion and had been matched up against a Nasus. I cringed as the match began but confidently knew how to handle it. "I want this dog to beg for a treat."

"Shut up, you're stupid," Greg said, my friend who was usually our jungler. "If I go up there, we're both going to die, like always."

"C'mon man, just land your stun and we kill for sure," I said, grinning to myself. I wasn't worried about my match up.

"Or just come bottom. They're pretty much killing themselves on minions trying to fight us," Mikey said, another friend who had summoned Lucian. While he usually preferred to play Mid lane, the two people we had gotten matched with called Mid and Support so we just took whatever was left.

"You know what Greg, just do what you want. I'm just glad you brought smite for once…" I said, jokingly. A flash of light, followed by a loud noise, caught my attention on the side of my view. "Is it raining by your house? I might get disconnected."

"No, it said it would in a few hours, probably," Greg said. He lived the closest to me, at 15 minutes away, while most of my other friends and family lived an hour away.

Ten minutes into the game, I had managed to kill Nasus a few times but no avail at halting his farming. He had taken to farming the jungle monsters and had almost 150 stacks already. I bit my lip slightly as I prepared to jump the enemy Ashe.

"We can't just let Nasus free farm, he'll kill us all," Mikey said, as he headed towards top lane to clear the minion wave.

"I can't do anything without a Last Whisper… If he withers me, you can fight him then," I said. Ashe came into sight as I prepared my assault.

Riven's broken sword reformed itself as I pressed the according keys. When the Freljord queen stepped passed forward and shot her Volley, I commanded Riven to lunge forward, stun, and continue her assault, ending with a Wind Slash before the archer could do anything. An easy 300 gold, and a step closer to my Last Whisper.

"Heh, easy," I said, grinning as I began to recall. "I just need to do a few camps and I can get my Last Whisper, then we should fight."

A few minutes later, I typed my plan to the two others on our team. With the enemy team having Nasus, who was focused on split pushing, we could easily overpower them in a shove down mid lane. Riven was immensely powerful, Lucian was equally as strong, and Amumu had managed to get extremely tanky and a fair amount of cooldown reduction; the perfect teamfight. Our two other members, who we weren't speaking with, summoned Ahri and Thresh. If we grabbed anyone with either a charm or hook, Greg and I wouldn't hesitate to dive. I could hear the rain pouring through the sounds of my headset.

"Let's hurry, this might be my last game," I said, clicking to follow the brigade of champions, lead by Amumu and Thresh. I positioned Riven in behind the two tanks and in front of the two carries, in case I had to protect them from a flank.

Behind us, we saw an enemy ward become visible as a teleport spell was being casted onto it. As we crossed the middle lane, four champions came from the entrances to the jungle. Nasus headed towards the backline with Homeguard boots as Amumu and Thresh began to dive forward. Ahri stayed behind as Lucian went forward since Nasus had primarily built armor to negate Riven's damage. I clicked on the enemy tank as Riven empowered her broken sword and prepared to attack while protecting the Ahri.

Everything was going according to plan… until the enemy LeBlanc felled Ahri with a quick combo, amplified by her Deathfire's Grasp. I casted Riven's Ki Burst as I spoke up.

"Keep moving forward, I'll keep Nasus and LeBlanc here," I said, as the stun managed to hit the mage and the tank. Riven's Valor shield was quickly broken by Nasus' Siphoning strike as LeBlanc shot her Ethereal Chains out, slowing the Exile. As the stun took effect, Riven leaped into the air to knock LeBlanc up as Nasus landed another Siphoning Strike on Riven. "Crap, kite if you can guys. I don't think I'm making it out of here."

With my summoner flash on cooldown, I had no choice but to keep fighting. Once the stun wore off, Nasus casted Wither. Riven still used her combo, shooting her Wind Slash as she landed her stun, finishing the LeBlanc who had used her Distortion offensively. Riven dashed away with low health but found herself moving increasingly slower.

"Riven, no!"

As Nasus raised his cane, the screen went black. The dim lights from the side of the computer also shut off, the filter of the aquarium besides me went silent; the power had gone out. I sighed in the dark room.

"Figures. So much for a few games before sleep…" I said, tilting my head back. I turned to the large fishtank, seeing the huge white fish move in the darkness. "Good thing I cleaned the tank earlier…"

I stood up and placed the headset on the computer. I clicked a random button on my phone to check the time; 12:22 A.M. I had no idea it had gotten that late, it was most likey both of my friends' last game anyway. I stretched my arms as I walked outside of my room to grab a glass of water and get ready for bed. I did my usual routine of switching my work uniform from the washer to dryer, meaning I was ready for work tomorrow night.

"With my luck, this storm will stay till I have to leave for work tomorrow…" I said, to myself. I moved through the dark apartment, the only sound was my feet moving quietly on the carpeted floor. I closed my door behind me, taking a sip of water as I sat on my bed.

I grabbed my phone and texted my friends, letting them know the power went out before placing the phone on an end table and attaching the charger to it, in case the power returned at night. I turned slightly and felt something strange. My eyes had adjusted to the lack of light but I couldn't see anything out of place; my sheets and pillows were where they usually were.

I pushed my hand down and heard a slightly breathy noise. I quickly pulled my hand away.

'_W-What?'_

"If you snuck in here to scare me, Laura, it's not working," I said, pulling the sheets down quickly. My eyes widened before being furiously rubbed. "N-No way."

There was no way the white haired, former Noxian soldier, Riven, was laying on my bed.

* * *

I sat in silence for what seemed like an eternity. My hands shook as I released a yawn that couldn't be stopped. A thousand thoughts crossed my mind: Should I wake her up? I can't just ignore this. What if she makes a big scene and I get in trouble? Why couldn't this happen at a decent time? Is she okay?

I slowly grabbed my phone and pressed a button for it to be a makeshift flashlight. I kept it a reasonable distance. Her face had a few cuts and her hair seemed to be covered in a light coat of dirt; her … abdomen rose and fell, signaling she was breathing… and alive. I gulped as I extended my hand onto her shoulder. Her body was warm, despite the cool weather from the cracked window.

"R-Riven?" I said, quietly. I shook her slightly. Her eyes seemed to begin to open as she shut them quickly and winced. She soon after opened them slowly and pushed herself up onto her elbows. I extended my free hand near her. "Don't push yourself, you're hurt."

"W-Where am I, who are you?" She said, quietly. She sounded the same as she did on the computer but spoke quietly, surely because of her injuries.

"You just… appeared here. I live here… That doesn't matter right now… You're hurt," I said, as she continued to slowly sit up. She placed herself against the wall.

"I'm fine… just a bit sore. Do you know what happened to me?" She asked, slowly.

"I was… your summoner, if you remember that. When Nasus attacked you, the power went out and you appeared here," I said, unsure if she would understand. I was familiar with the lore but what did she know?

"I- remember that much… I can be on my way now, summoner. Which way to the Institute?" She said, looking forward at me. I stared at her as if she had spoken Chinese to me.

"I- umm… I don't know how to say this… are you hungry?"

* * *

While it took a bit of convincing and promise that I'd explain it better, I locked the door to the apartment quietly as I closed it. It was a good thing my parents weren't too into animals and my sister was fast asleep. I asked her to follow me as we went down the stone steps and the parking spots, staying close to her as I tried to keep us both under the umbrella.

"Are these cars?" Riven asked, as we passed a few parked infront of the building. I nodded. "I've heard about something like this. Piltoverian stuff?"

"Not… exactly," I said, nervously. We walked around the building to where guest parking spots where; where I was allowed to park. Since we lived in a three bedroom apartment in our complex, we had 2 designated spots but I never bothered to obtain the permit for out spots. I took out the keys and pressed the unlock button as the lights of my more recently purchased Altima flickered. I opened the passenger seat door. "Ever ridden in one?"

"No. Never had to," Riven said, sitting in slowly.

I closed the door and moved to the other side, entering the car. I turned the keys in the ignition and began to back up. I turned my head to watch behind me as Riven looked at me before looking where I was looking.

"What's behind us?" Riven asked. Her questions were like a little kid's; it was kinda cute.

"Just making sure we don't hit another car," I said, smiling. While I made the monthly payments myself, I don't think my parents would be too happy of me getting into an accident. Luckily the car wasn't too dirty aside from a jacket in the backseat and parts of my work uniform I didn't wash every day.

I began to drive towards the entrance of the neighbourhood before realizing I hadn't a clue of where I was going to.

"Where do you wan- Do you like hamburgers?" I asked, stopping my first question when I realized who I was talking to. She stared at me blankly.

"Ham? What?" She asked, confused.

"Uhhh, meat, cheese, bread, and potatos?" I asked, simply. She nodded, still staring at me as if I was a talking fish. I began to drive to the nearest fast food place, ignoring the one I worked at and parking outside a McDonald's a few minutes away. The lack of cars on the road and red lights made the drive incredibly quick. I opened her door as she slowly came out, shut the door behind her, and locked the vehicle.

She sat down on a booth near the windows as I went to the counter and ordered some food. I wasn't too hungry so I got three small cheeseburgers, some fries, and two large drinks. I filled one with water and one with coke before walking towards our booth and placing the food between us. I looked a bit at the raindrop covered window; the thunder seemed to have stopped a while ago but the rain continued.

"I suppose I should explain, huh?" I said, as she stared at the brown tray.

"This… I'm not in Valoran, am I?" Riven said, staring at me. She placed a hand under her head as she sighed.

"No. I- I have no clue what happened but… You're not exactly… supposed to be real, I guess? I mean… you are but… This is really confusing for me as well," I said, crossing my arms.

"What do we do then? Can't you use some summoner magic or something?" Riven asked. Her voice seemed to be returning to her usual tone.

"I'm not a summoner. I'm just a normal person, I mean, I can try to help you get back somehow," I said, looking at her.

"You're not lying to me, right?" She asked. She placed her hands on the table and leaned forward towards me. "I don't have any tolerance for a liar."

"I- I promise. I'm just as confused as you are!" I said, a bit scared. She squinted her eyes a bit and sat back down.

"I suppose I have no choice but to believe you… Thanks," Riven said, donning a small smile. She stared at the food before her. "How… exactly do you eat this?"

"This is going to be interesting."

* * *

After watching the Exile attempt to eat a wrapped cheeseburger, drink from a cup with a lid, and fumble as she nearly dropped every fry she grabbed, I spoke up again.

"Are you gonna be alright?" I asked, crossing my arms on the booth table.

"I suppose I have to be. Freaking out won't solve anything. A vacation for those mindless battles might be a good thing also," She said, yawning slightly.

"Wanna head back? I told you everything I wanted to," I said. "I gotta find a way to let you stay at my house."

"What do you mean?" Riven ask, tilting her head. I stood up and she followed. As we walked outside, a brisk wind blew into the warm restaurant. Riven shivered; her clothing didn't seem too cold resistant. I quickly unlocked the car and opened the door for her before taking my own seat. I reached towards the back.

"Not sure how my parents will react to what happened. Here," I said, handing her a thin jacket I usually kept with me. She put it over herself like a blanket. I began driving back to my neighbourhood. "They probably won't mind it though… Just come with me tomorrow, alright?"

"Where?" Riven asked.

"I doubt my parents would be too pleased if you just show up in the morning… we can leave before they wake up and I'll think of something…" I said. My mind was full of possibilities and scenarios.

"I feel so weak… I wonder if any other champions were dragged to this world…" Riven said, coiling up slightly.

"I wonder…" I began, thinking about that. If the same thing happened to his friends, Greg would have been dealing with Amumu right now… "You think you lost your strength then?"

"Yeah, I think," Riven said, nodding slowly. "I don't even have my blade…"

"How is being a champion? How is all of that?" I asked, looking over at her. We had already made it back and parked.

"Tiring. The help from a summoner makes abilities not as strenuous but after constant matches… it still takes a toll," Riven said, yawning again. I looked at the radio; 2:12 A.M.

I headed to the passenger side and opened the door, holding the umbrella over the Exile as she exited the car. After closing the door and locking the car, we slowly walked back towards the building. As we stepped up the steps, I looked over at her.

"Be really quiet, alright?" I whispered. She nodded as I closed the umbrella and shook it off. I slowly opened the door and shut it behind her, locking it. I had the typical feeling of everything was very loud despite it actually being quiet.

The power seemed to be back as I entered my bedroom; the sound of the aquarium filter hummed in the background of the room. I immediately plopped onto the bed. Riven sat on the edge as I grabbed my phone and set an alarm for a few hours ahead.

"My dad wakes up early but never comes in here since I'm usually asleep… My mom wakes up a bit later so we have a good window of opportunity," I said, placing the phone back on the table. Riven laid down on the other side of the queen sized bed. The whole thing still seemed like a dream; this Riven wasn't the normal digital champion, she was a flesh and blood woman whom I expected to disappear in the morning. She turned to me, covered to her neck with the thick, dark blue blanket.

"I never got your name," Riven asked me.

"Riley."


	2. Cosplayers Anonymous

**After posting the first chapter of this and beginning to write the second, I realized I wrote the story in first person... I hate writing in first person! **

**Anyway, here is chapter two. Also, if anyone from my 'Veracity' story is reading this, I forgot to mention that you can add me on League or PM me on here if you want, I like talking to new people. (ofc anyone from this story can too :D)**

**Enjoy chapter two!**

* * *

"Shut up…"

I grabbed the phone and immediately looked at the time as it played the default alarm tone. I stared at the phone.

"Why the hell would I set an alarm for now…" I mumbled, putting the phone back on the table and turning around, pulling my blanket higher. I blinked a few times. "Oh, right."

Forcing myself to sit up, I shook the woman awake.

"Yo, wake up. We have to go," I said, rubbing my eyes with my left hand. Riven pulled the blanket over her white hair in protest. I wondered if her personality changed or she was like this in her world?...

"Whyyyy? We just started sleeping," Riven said, turning her head towards me before slowly giving in. She slowly sat up. "So, this actually happened then."

"I know what you mean, I'm still as confused as you are," I said, standing up slowly. She did the same, albeit slower. I looked over at her. "There's a bathroom right outside and to the right, if you need it."

"Uhhh… alright, thanks," Riven said, as she headed out of the room slowly. I grabbed my usual things; wallet, phone, keys and the pellets of fish food.

I walked over to the large 55 gallon fishtank and dropped the assortment of foods in their usual spots. Floating large ones to distract the huge, white Oscar, sinking smaller ones for the other two fish, and an algae disk for the sucker fish, which rarely came out of a plastic driftwood decoration. I stared at the tank for a few seconds as they rushed the food, eating like they'd never been fed before. I quickly checked the computer before stepping outside of the room.

"Morning Riley,"

No.

"M-Morning Nicole, why are you awake so early?" I asked, looking over at my sister, who was headed for the bathroom.

"I was going to wake you up. You promised you'd drive me to my friends house, remember?" She said, as I stared at her.

"_Shit, I did promise that."_

As if cued, Riven opened the door, staring at both of us in confusion. My sister glared at me with a grin.

"You're dead," Nicole said, with a malicious grin.

"Keep this a secret or I'm dropping you off in Canada," I said, sighing. Defeated, I introduced them. "Riven, this is my sister, Nicole. Nicole, this is… my friend, Riven."

"That's an odd name… You never told me you had a girlfriend," Nicole said, crossing her arms.

"Did you hear anything I just said?" I sighed, pushing her slightly towards the bathroom. "Get ready, we're leaving in a few minutes."

Once the fifteen year old girl closed the door behind her, I moved towards the small kitchen area. Riven remained across the counter, quietly.

"Sorry about that. I completely forgot about her," I said, scratching my head.

"She seemed nice. What's Canada?" Riven asked, playing around with some small, winter decorations.

"A far away place where it's very cold. Kinda like our Freljord. Anything in mind you want to do?" I asked, moving near the door. Riven tapped her chin. "You don't have anything aside from that set of clothes, right?"

"Maybe clothes? Are clothes expensive?" Riven asked. I cringed.

"Depends. There's places where we can get inexpensive stuff," I said, thinking of thrift stores. "You know, just simple stuff until… I can get more money."

"I don't need much. Just… a change or two. I don't want to impose on you," Riven said, giving me a firm look. I shrugged it off.

"Don't worry about it. It's just a holiday here so I've been spending a bit more than usual. It'll just be an early Christmas present for you," I said, half jokingly. Riven tilted her head. "Snowdown present?"

"Ok, ready," Nicole said, stepping forward quickly. She had changed from her sleepwear into some other outfit, covered almost completely by one of my jackets.

"You have so many jackets, why do you always take mine?" I asked, sighing. I handed Riven the one she wore the previous night. "Here, it's chilly outside."

"Yeah, I can't borrow one but your girlfriend can," Nicole teased, opening the door.

"You're riding in the trunk," I said, as I closed the door behind both girls.

I felt the wind hit me. I wasn't too cold, the wind felt nice and I appreciated the few weeks of cold we got in Florida. Riven seemed fine with just the light jacket while Nicole still seemed cold despite the larger jacket. I entered the car, as Nicole pulled the passenger seat back and entered the backseat and Riven sat in the passenger seat once it returned to normal. She stared at this as if she finally figured out the puzzle of two door cars.

"Why do you need to go at this ungodly hour?" I asked, yawning.

"We're working on our presentation for English class and she has to leave at like, 5," Nicole said, as we began to head towards her friend's house.

"Am I getting you?" I asked, unsure of what I promised. She shook her head.

"Dad is picking me up on the way home from work. So, Riven, how'd you meet my brother?" Nicole asked, leaning forward in between the two seats. Riven stared at me. I blinked a few more times than normal.

"He helps me do things," Riven said, unsure of what to say.

"Quit being nosy. Hard to believe we're related, I was nothing like you when I was 12," I said, grinning.

"H-Hey, shut up. I'm fifteen," She said, leaning back away. I grinned: subject avoided. "We are nothing alike, I have friends at my age."

Riven held back a chuckled as I made a sharp right turn. The fifteen year old who wasn't wearing a seatbelt suddenly stopped grinning.

* * *

After dropping Nicole off, the Exile and I found ourselves in a thrift store in a plaza nearby. As we entered the store, we ran into something I had expected with League of Legends being so popular.

"Wow, that is such a good cosplay!" a girl asked, pulling a guy along with her. "Where did you get that wig? It looks so real."

"Wig?... Uhh," Riven stammered; I intervened.

"Hey, we're kinda in a hurry. We got most of her costume online, you could probably find it. Bought it from some other cosplayer," I said, as the girl's amazement semi-faded when Riven didn't answer her. I grabbed Noxian's hand as we quickly went towards the sea of clothing.

"What's a cosplay?" Riven asked, as I caught my breath. I don't doubt she had more stamina than I did.

"Basically… skins for us. People make them and get together usually to show them off and talk about where they came from," I said, as we began to walk. "I should've thought that through… you're pretty popular."

"Really? Do you think so?" She asked, as we stopped walking.

"I mean… well, yeah. You're summoned alot, aren't you?" I said, as I looked for a women's aisle. "I can't be the only one that summoned you for an entire day almost, right?"

She remained quiet after that. We eventually found a corner with feminine clothing. I stood a few feet away as I told Riven to look for anything she wanted. She blankly stared at me and began shuffling through the clothing, looking as interested as I did when I was dragged here as a child. As I followed, my phone began to ring, I stepped back a bit and looked at the screen. The contact was Wendy and, as much as I wished it was a girl, I frowned.

"Yo," I answered, placing my free hand in my pocket.

"Riley? Can you work tonight? You'll only have to work 2-5 Sunday. Please?" A woman said through the phone, in Spanish. I sighed to myself.

"Sure," I said, before realizing something. "Wait, is Carla there still?"

"Yeah, why?" The manager asked, sounding worried as if I was going to change my mind.

"I really need to talk to her. Can you ask her to not leave at 4? I'll be there at like, 3:30," I said, looking over at Riven, with a small smile as she held a few articles of clothing on her arm.

"Alright… Thank you, I'll see you tonight," The manager said, sounding a bit relieved.

"Ciao," I said, hanging up. I pocketed the phone and walked over to Riven. She was holding mostly shirts. "Just let me know when you're ready."

"Ready," she immediately said, looking towards me.

"You sure? Don't worry about being a bother, it's fine," I said. Never would I have imagined myself telling a woman to shop more with my money, of all things.

"I'm sure. This is all fine. I don't really think I need much more," She said, walking towards me.

"Alright… let's get going then," I said, semi dreading the introduction to my mother.

We headed towards the cashiers and waited a short while. Not alot of people shopping for a Saturday morning. As I handed the lady the clothing one by one, I looked over them. She picked out 4 shirts, mostly white or black with random logos she most likely didn't understand, a pair of black jeans, and two skirts. She stared at me, following my hands as I handed the clothing to the woman.

"That'll be 24.59," The woman said, after ringing up all the clothing. I handed her the orange debit card from my wallet. "Debit or credit?"

"Debit," I said, suddenly remembering shoes. I stared down at Riven's feet. This weather made sense for boots so it was something we could put off for a while. The woman scanned the card, I put in my bank pin, and she thanked us, handing me the bags and my card back.

"Thank you, have a nice day," I said, as Riven followed me out, staring at the waving lady. As we stood in the parking lot, I spoke up again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," She said, looking at the ground. Her feet fidgeted around.

"Do you remember everything from Valoran?" I asked, opening the car door for her. I quickly went around and sat in my own seat, putting the bags behind us.

"Yeah, I do. I remember everything," Riven said, looking at me.

"You seem so different that what I expected," I said, turning the engine on. "Not that I ever anticipated meeting you."

"I'm just a bit in shock still… What happens if I can't get back somehow?" Riven said, looking away slightly. "All my memories, what I fought for, why I lived in exile for. Is all that just going to be nothing?"

I remained silent as she continued to look away.

"I'm grateful for the clothes, summoner. I don't want you to think I'm not. I'm just… worried," Riven said, sighing.

"I'm sorry, Riven. I feel powerless right now," I said, beginning to drive. The path home was a rut; I could've done it asleep. "I have no idea what you're feeling but… I promise I'll help you get back anyway I can."

"I know you will. I trust you, summoner," Riven said, leaning against the headrest.

"I'm not your summoner. I'm your friend, call me Riley, like everyone else, alright?" I said, smiling.

"Alright… Thank you, Riley."

* * *

After a few minutes of silent driving, we arrived at the neighbourhood and quickly parked. Seeing as it was almost 1 p.m, my mother would surely be awake. We headed up the building stairs to the second floor and I stopped near the door.

"Riven, please don't feel awkward," I began. She looked at me blankly. "I know 100% my mother will think you're my girlfriend, ask when the wedding is, and probably ask about kids. Just let me handle it, alright?"

"Uhh… we're getting married?" Riven asked, tilting her head slightly. "Maybe we should've bought some sort of dress then?"

"... Just follow my lead, alright?" I said, unlocking the door.

The faint sound of the laundry machine or dryer filled my right ear, and of the tv filled my left ear. Almost every other day, the same thing happened. Since my mother worked nights, whenever I was here during the day, she would be cleaning her work clothes along with other laundry. I stepped forward, holding two bags of clothing, to see my mother sitting on a couch, reading a book. She put it down as she looked over at me.

"Oh hey, where'd you go?" My mother asked, in Spanish.

"Took Nicole to her friends house… Uhhh," I began, putting the bags down. I motioned for Riven to walk over. Once she did, my mother's eyes shifted to the oddly dressed woman. "This is Riven, a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you, please sit," My mother said, switching to English quickly. She wasn't completely fluent but she had learned enough to communicate. Riven and I sat on another couch, opposite of my mother.

"So uhm… I need to ask you something," I said, continuing in English, for Riven's sake. A thought crossed my mind… If League of Legends is in other languages, would Riven understand this?

"What is it? Permission to marry her? Yes, yes!" The hispanic woman said, laughing. I looked at Riven from the sides of my view and mentally sighed; no female was safe from being introduced to my parents.

"Can she stay with us?" I said, quickly. She stared at me and then at Riven.

"Are you serious? This is really sudden," My mother said, crossing her legs. I lowered my head slightly.

"I'll pay extra for her, please," I said, staring back up at her. "She has nowhere to go."

"I'll have to speak to your dad about this…" She began. She switched to Spanish. "We've never even heard of her, and you're expecting us to just take her in?"

"We've never even heard of her, and you're expecting us to just take her in?" I repeated, translating out loud. "I'm asking you, I don't expect anything. It won't be any different aside from seeing another person once in a while."

"I'm sorry if I sounded rude… Riven? I know my son," She began, standing up. She looked at me, switching languages again.. "I'll talk to your father about this. Only if you promise me you'll actually marry this one."

She exited to the master bedroom and I swung my head back, closing my eyes. Riven spoke up.

"W-What did she say?" She asked, answering my previous thoughts.

"Nothing, don't worry. She's going to ask my father his opinion. If he says no… We can just sleep in the car or something…" I said, exhaling forcefully.

"We? You don't have to, I will be alright," She said. I swung back forward, resting my elbows on my bare knees.

"C'mon, I told you I'd help you anyway I can," I said, smiling. She tilted her head again, in confusion.

"How is sleeping with me going to help us find out how to return to Valoran?" Riven asked. I reddened. Maybe sleeping with someone didn't have a more… inappropriate meaning in Valoran.

"I-... I don't know Riven, but I won't just leave you alone like that, alright?" I said. I fiddled with my hands as I sat back on the couch. "Say… remember the place we went to eat last night?"

The woman nodded.

"Would… you mind working in a place like that?"


	3. May I Take Your Order?

**Here is chapter 3, which marks the return of my inconsistent scheduling! Not gonna make any promises of the next chapter except for my usual promise of "This story won't be forgotten."**

**Hope everyone has/had a nice Christmas or whichever Holiday you celebrate!**

* * *

Two days ago, I stood in front of a computer, listening to people in their cars order varying amount of fast food as I punched in the orders, a woman made them, and a younger girl bagged them as I took the money and waved them goodbye as I continued. The only thing on my mind was the one day off before another day of work before two more free days.

Then, she appeared.

I now stood outside of the fast food restaurant, placing my clothing on top of the car's roof as I locked the car. I had gotten there early, like I said I was and still saw the owner's car, meaning she had gotten my message. I grabbed my clothing, bringing a spare pair of pants and a shirt as Riven followed me into the building, staring around.

It was 3:30 P.M. The lunch rush was over and the next time it would surely pick up was around 5, when everyone would be going home; when I clocked in. I made it a point to be a punctual and reliable employee, not like I usually had much to do otherwise. I had a maximum amount of hours that was usually divided among 4 days, so the sooner I got them done, the more relaxing I can do when it mattered.

"C'mon, I have to talk to my boss," I said, motioning for Riven to follow.

"This isn't where we came yesterday, right?" Riven asked, staring at the building. I shook my head.

"No, there's lots of places like that. This is one of the popular ones," I said, not sure how to explain it without using the word 'chain'.

Riven nodding as we entered the place. A few people sat around, eating and talking, one person was on their computer since the restaurant offered free Wi-Fi. I set my stuff on one of the small, round, elevated tables for two as Riven sat down. I walked over to the desolate front counter and waited until the morning manager noticed me.

"Can you get Carla?" I asked. She nodded and walked towards the back of the store.

I stood around for a bit before a more formal looking woman came towards me. She didn't wear a traditional red or gray manager shirt but instead wore whatever she more or less felt like. It was her store; despite her nametag just saying 'Manager'. She stood across from me, holding a clipboard.

"Hello Riley, what happened?" She asked, in Spanish. Most people spoke Spanish here. My being bilingual and patient were the standalone reasons I was assigned to be the drive-thru window cashier, despite my clear protests against it.

"I- I need a favor," I said, meekly in the same Language. She peeked behind me.

"Who's that, your girlfriend?" She asked, she playfully hit me. "Why didn't you tell me? She's pretty."

"Not my girlfriend. She's a friend that's staying with me, her name is Riven. It was really sudden but I was wondering if… you know," I said, looking away slightly. "We could hire her."

"Does she have any experience? Maybe, we still are looking for two or so people but this is very sudden," Carla said, crossing her arms.

"Look, I just want her to be alright. I'll pay her from what I get," I said, looking back at her. She was staring out the window at the passing cars that had just gotten their food. "I'll train her and everything."

"What did you have in mind?" The woman asked, nodding. She had quite a bit of trust in me by now.

"Front counter. Have Lauren bag for me instead. I can ask her to help if needed," I said, having thought it out.

"That could work except… Tony is the manager tonight, he's probably going to bag or grill. If it was any other manager, she'd have someone with her in the front counter," Carla said. I cringed a bit. Tony was among the more… difficult among the managers.

"He always wants to teach everyone everything anyway," I said, sighing. "Give it a try? I just don't want to leave her all alone for hours whenever I'm at work."

"We can give it a try. I know you wouldn't recommend someone that won't work hard," Carla said, nodding slowly. "I'll speak to Tony about it, tell him a new person is starting. I'll check my car for an extra apron and shirt, she has work pants and shoes, right?"

"Yeah, I brought extra stuff," I said, smiling. "Thanks, it means alot."

"Get changed and get ready to show her a few things, use the back computer to show her the menu and options, alright?" She said, speaking about the first window computer that was solely used for taking money. I nodded, walking over to the Exile, who turned to me.

"How did it go?" She asked, shifting in her seat. I had explained the situation and she had agreed to it. She mentioned again how she would rather not be a burden to me so I left out the 'pay would come from my check' thing. She wouldn't be eligible to legally work but maybe something could be worked out later.

"She said alright. I'm going to show you a few things before we have to actually start and she is going to give you a uniform," I said, sitting across from her. She nodded with a small smile. "Told you they love me here."

"Sounds like you're pretty trusted… she had no questions?" Riven asked, looking curiously at me.

"She asked a bit but I told her to please do a bit of a trail," I said. "She also mentioned I wouldn't just recommend a bad worker."

"That'd be pretty silly," Riven said, laughing a bit. "So what exactly will I be doing?"

"Basically you talk to people and put what foods they want on the computer, they pay you, and you give them back how much it says to," I said, sitting back. "Then you clean this area when you have free time… When we leave you have to close the area… I'll help you with that."

"Alright…," Riven said, as the owner walked over to our table, holding a woman's shirt and an apron, with a name tag clipped on it. It actually read Riven, I was expecting her to misspell it.

"Hello, my name is Carla. Has Riley told you what you will be doing?" The woman said, setting the clothing down. Riven nodded, meekly.

"Yes, thank you for giving me a chance, I will do my best," Riven said, formally.

"If you need anything, ask him or any others to help you. He's one of my best workers," The woman said, looking over at me. I looked away.

"I'll start showing her the stuff in the back computer then," I said, standing up. The owner nodded, as she walked away. A few people entered the store as I turned towards Riven. I handed her a thin white shirt, the pants, and shoes, hoping they would fit. "Let's go get changed."

As we both headed towards the bathrooms, I opened the door to the men's as I felt the door not close behind me.

"N-No. You go in that one."

* * *

I had to say: I was a fan of Riven's Bunny skin but something about seeing her in a Wendy's uniform was strangely cute. Maybe the fact that she seemed as normal as I was despite the fact she could make ADC's almost disintegrate. She followed me as we headed back outside and placed her clothing in the trunk.

"You ready?" I asked, turning back towards the woman. She nodded slowly, as another car drove past the window.

"I suppose," She said, as we walked back inside the building.

I lead the woman through the building and towards the back computer. As we walked, I noticed most of my coworkers looking over at us as we walked. It was common, as new employees were usually not announced until the day of when they showed up in uniform. I stood in front of the computer, as Riven stood closely near me, looking at the screen.

"Since you're in the front, most people can just point at what they want if you're confused… combos are the numbered meals, everything is on the side here. I think another girl will be on the computer next to you so she can help you. Then a total will come up, they'll hand you the money, you put how much they gave and then give back the change," I said, tapping the buttons as I spoke. Riven stared at me blankly.

"Those orange cards?" Riven asked. She was referring to my debit card; she had seen it earlier and the night before, if she even did.

"Uhhh… they're not all orange. Its either that or paper money," I said, taking out my wallet. I rarely carried cash so what I pulled out was a few singles. "Its like these. The number on the corner is how much they're worth. The cards are linked to a person's bank account to make things easier. I rarely have any on me."

"So I put in what people say and then do the math?" Riven asked.

"Not even. The computer does it for you to make things quicker. The main thing is to be quick," I said, looking at the woman. She was leaning forward and looking up at me. I noticed she was tall, nearly my height. Compared to my of the women here, she was a giant.

* * *

Despite Riven not seeming to know which bathroom was for which gender or what paper money was, everything seemed to go very smoothly. It had been fairly busy so I hadn't much time to check on the Exile. Whenever I managed to pass by her, there were no people in the dining room so she was wiping the tables like I had shown her.

Time had flown by, it was nearing the end of my shift. Even though I left at 11, my replacement came in at 10 while I finished stocking up and bagged for them while the manager counted my cashier drawer to make sure I was good. The drive-thru had significantly slowed down as my replacement, Jessica, came towards me as I placed salad dressings inside the small fridge.

"Yo, Nick not working today?" I asked, as Jessica usually never closed. She shook her head as I handed her the headset.

"He switched with me since I needed tomorrow off," She said, as the manager, Tony, walked over to the computer and signed me out. He held a 'clean drawer' , containing only 100 dollars, as I grabbed my own register and followed him. I looked over at Riven, who was kneeling down and placing sauces into the holder.

I stood outside of the office, having nearly stocked all I needed to and no cars were coming as of yet. The manager counted the money, making organized piles of hundreds and putting the numbers on a calculator as a second reference.

"So, what did you think of her?" I asked, crossing my arms slightly. He raised his head to look out the office window at the kneeling woman.

"Not bad, not sure how you got that," He said, chuckling. I glared at him. "She's alright. Kinda slow, she never answered any of my questions. What is she, an alien?"

"I'm going to go show her how to close," I said, ignoring his last statements. No one was good enough for him, at first, at least. He nodded, as he continued to punch the numbers into the calculator.

I immediately headed towards the back corner of the store and filled the yellow mop bucket with some water and some kind of special floor cleaner. I grabbed the black floor brush, blue mop, and squeegee as I pushed the bucket around the corner. As I neared the dining room, I heard the door open.

Riven stood up, knowing that the door opening meant a customer. A person in a blue and white shirt came in, followed by another… and another…. and another. I cringed as I quickly moved towards the second register in the front counter.

"Get ready, Riven," I said, valiantly.

"For what?" She asked, facing her own register.

"Something more terrifying than walking down the river when there's a Teemo on the opposing team...," I said, jokingly.

* * *

It was now almost 10:15 pm as the door were finally locked and the entire travelling soccer team left, all holding different sized white and red bags. Riven let out a breath as she walked next to me.

"D-Does that always happen?" She asked, a bit nervously. I shook my head.

"Not too often… but when it does, it's always when we're about to leave. It's a universal law. We're lucky everything was to go… otherwise we'd have to wait before starting to clean," I said, finally pushing the bucket into the dining area.

I rarely did this but had done it a few times in the past so the process was burned into my brain by now. Dip the mop into the solution, cover the floor in it, scrub the floor the brush, then squeegee everything into the drains. After that, clean the bathrooms and tables, which were already clean but never clean enough for whoever was in charge. I showed Riven what to do and she mimicked me after I did; she did everything perfectly every time.

I stared at her as I walked to the small closet to get the bathroom cleaners. Strands of white hair were pushed behind her ear; it was almost impossible to not sweat. She looked up at me as I walked over to her.

"What? Am I doing something wrong?" She asked, stopping herself. I shook my head.

"No, you're perfect… I- I mean, you know. Nothing's wrong," I said, thinking I sounded like an idiot. She nodded.

"Are we done after this?" She asked, I nodded.

"Yep, till tomorrow."

* * *

As we sat inside the running car, the cool A/C was a wave of relief on our warm faces. I tossed the visor into the backseat. I looked over at Riven.

"So, what did you think?" I asked.

"Is everyone like that one guy? He kept asking me weird things and everything I did was wrong," Riven asked, causing me to chuckle while I began to drive.

The chuckled stopped very quickly.

"Oh right. Both my parents will be there when we get to the apartment," I said, sighing quietly.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it," Riven said, staring forward.

"I'm not leaving you alone, Riven. If they're stubborn, I will be too," I said, seriously.

"Do you dislike your parents?" Riven asked me. I shook my head. She continued. "You'd disobey them for a stranger?"

"You're not a stranger… you're my friend now, right?" I said, looking at her slightly.

"I'm just a tool for summoners. You consider us friends? Why?" Riven asked.

"I never thought of you as a tool. I-," I began. Riven cut me off.

"Maybe you don't. Others do. It doesn't matter now, does it? I'm not the person I was in my world right now. I'm just a weak person," Riven said, a bit angrily.

"I told you I'd help you get back. Just- I need some time. I don't know how to get you back yet," I said, slowing down as I parked in my usual spot.

"I know. I'm not trying to be ungrateful. I trust you, Riley," Riven said, with a small smile.

I nodded with my own smile, as I exited the car and began to head towards the passenger side. Why was I willing to disobey my parents for her?

The wind began to pick up as I hurried the woman. Rain would surely follow.


	4. Are We Sleeping Together Again?

**Here's chapter four, hope everyone had a good holidays and a happy new year's eve! **

**I have been stuck in Guild Wars 2, Omega Ruby, and tilting on League!**

**Also, I don't owned anything mentioned here and stuff, if I did, I wouldn't be broke!**

**Enjoy this slightly shorter chapter, I just really wanted it to end where it did! **

* * *

Riven sat on the queen sized bed as I slumped in the computer chair. After a… strangely cooperative conversation with my parents, Riven was allowed to stay if she paid the same as I did, which was a reasonable deal. Hopefully Carla would want to actually hire her to loaded the financial burden otherwise I'd have to find another job. My head was beginning to hurt very subtly as I filled it with thousands of scenarios until a voice snapped me back into reality… or what was now a reality.

"Are you okay?" Riven asked, still dressed in her work uniform, as was I, reminding me to put them into the laundry for tomorrow afternoon.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Do you want to shower first?" I asked, taking off my work shirt. I hated the fabric of it so I never went without a second shirt underneath, despite the Floridian heat.

"Sure," Riven said, standing up.

"Want a shirt to sleep in? No need to get your new clothes all messed up," I said, pushing myself towards my small closet. I dug out a black shirt, a size bigger than I was but I still liked to wear.

"Thank you," Riven said, taking the shirt and heading towards the bathroom.

As Riven left the room, my sister entered the room at the same time. She sat on the bed, as Riven had. I guessed she was here to ask me for another favor. I put my feet up on my desk as I leaned back on the computer chair.

"What?" I said, letting out a yawn. It was almost midnight and waking up so early wasn't something I was accustomed to, despite years of school and morning jobs.

"I can't just come talk to my brother?" Nicole said, sitting with both legs crossed.

"I know you. You want something," I said, looking at her.

"No, really, I want to talk about something. About… her," Nicole said, looking towards the wall. The sound of water had been going to a bit already.

"What about her?" I asked, moving one hand towards my mouse causing the computer to light up the room.

"What happened when you asked Mom and Dad?" Nicole asked. "Did they freak out on you?"

"What, no. I got her a job with me and told them she'll help with bills and stuff," I said, turning my head back to the girl.

"She's… not from here, is she?" Nicole asked. "She acts so weird… like something out of your loser video games or something."

"Nice. I'll remember that next time you need a ride," I said, glad that that comment dropped the subject.

"I'm kidding. Quit being so sensitive. I'm just glad my dumb brother finally got a girlfriend," She said, hopping off the bed. "Also, I need a ride tomorrow again."

"Not my girlfriend, and no, take a bus," I said, turning back to the computer.

"What?! You'd just let your poor, little teenage sister take a filthy bus with strangers?" Nicole said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, it builds character," I said, seeing her stunned in my peripheral. "I took busses all my life until I got a job and car. Look how well I turned out."

"Then give me money, I don't have any," She said, moving into my sight.

"No, go away. Ask Dad, or something," I responded, plainly. This was all a normal ritual for us, she would get the ride… I just liked to make her work for it, as being an older brother was something I did well. When the look on her face showed signs of defeat, I spoke again. "I work 2-5, I'll be awake at 10. Just let me know when."

"Thank you!" She said, hugging my head as she left the room quickly.

I smirked a bit as I sat forward and tilted the chair completely to face the computer. Out of habit, I clicked on League of Legends and Google Chrome. The internet browser loaded first but before I typed anything in, the League launcher popped up.

Everything seemed the same. It did the fake few second 'patching' where it stays at 99% until the orange play button came up. The button was grayed out and in the top right corner, right under the words 'North America' was the word, in bright red letters, unavailable.

"Weird, wonder what's up," I said, quietly to myself. The last time I had played was when the power went out and Riven showed up.

When trying to go to the League website, I got an error. Wherever I normally checked was the same results, while other places I rarely checked yielded no information. Everything League related seemed to not work and no one seemed to know why. The professional players were just as confused as I was and so were any friends of mine that played.

"Probably just finally giving us the European servers or something," I said, yawning.

* * *

After putting both Riven and I's work clothing in the wash, I returned to my room and plopped onto the bed. Riven sat on the bed, staring at me. She was wearing the black shirt the seemed to be a dress for her and her hair seemed to quickly return to form, despite still being wet.

"I gotta give my sister another ride sometime tomorrow," I said, turning onto my back. I still had to wait for our clothes to finish washing to put into the dryer, just in case I got lazy tomorrow before work.

"Why did you mother act so weird earlier?" Riven asked, tilting her head. I blinked.

"Oh. Uhhh… sleeping together has another meaning here," I said, recalling what happened.

During the pseudo-interview, my mother, who continued to ignored my statements that Riven was not my girlfriend, said she didn't want me sleeping with a random girl I just started dating to which Riven said: "Why? We already slept together yesterday though."

"I figured I should be honest, right?" Riven said, crossing her arms. "What does it mean then? Does everything have a second meaning?"

"N-No, not everything. Just like… uhh… When people sleep together, usually a male and female, things can happen, you know?" I said, unsure of how to word it. Riven still scared me a bit… I felt like she had a hidden temper I didn't want to awaken.

"R-Really? That's what she thought?" Riven said, reddening slightly. A very different scenario than what I had thought.

"It's fine. The important part is you're here and we don't have to sleep in a car, right?" I said, grinning.

"I wouldn't have let you do that…" Riven said, sitting against the wall with her legs crossed, eliminating any chance for my inner teenage boy curiosity to be piqued.

"Why not?" I asked, curiously.

"I told you. I'm not going to be a burden to you. I would be fine on my own, if I had to," Riven said,

"This world is a bit unforgiving. I wouldn't want you to be all alone," I said, crossing my arms behind my head.

"How so?" Riven asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Without money, you can't do anything. I don't like it but it's how it is, get me?" I said, yawning again. It was almost one in the morning and the clothes were probably ready to be switched by now.

"No matter what, I'm grateful for this. To think you were just a faceless summoner a few days ago to this… It's still very weird to get used to," Riven said, eventually laying down.

"Well, we're stuck together for a bit. Let's make the best of it," I said, slowly sitting up. "So, you didn't mind working, right?"

"Not at all. It was interesting. Why?" Riven asked, yawning slightly. Not everyday you see a League of Legends champion yawning on your bed in PJ's… unless you search for… nevermind.

"Just wondering. We could've looked for something else if you didn't like it," I said, standing up. "I'll be back, gonna put our clothes to dry."

Riven nodded as I headed out into the dark apartment, Using my phone as a makeshift light, I headed towards the kitchen and opened the small closet-like door, revealing the washer to my left and dryer to my right. I switched both outfits, along with Riven's under armour, into the dryer and began to head back. As I passed by the living room, I saw the small area we had cleared for the soon to be put up Christmas tree.

'I wonder what I should get her for Christmas then? A giant, broken sword?'

As I entered the room and quietly closed the door behind me, I put my phone on the nightstand, ignoring the alarms because Nicole would surely wake us both up whenever she needed her ride. I got into the bed and pulled the blue covers. Florida's 'winters' were just a week of cold nights but I always liked sleeping completely covered. Riven turned on her side and looked at me.

"It sure is amusing how everything changes when things seem mundane, aren't they?" Riven said, quietly. The only sound in the room was the faint sounds of water from my aquarium's filter.

"You're life was mundane?" I asked, laying on my back but facing her. She nodded slowly.

"Everyday I did nothing but fight for petty disagreements. I didn't really leave the Institute of War because I… I really didn't have anywhere to go," Riven said, slowly. "Day by day, nothing changed. This was certainly a change."

"Think of it as a vacation maybe. We can do fun things after work tomorrow since we have the next day off," I said, staring at the ceiling now.

"That sounds good," Riven said, smiling. "I- I do need something, however."

"What is it?" I asked, turning my head slightly again.

"Underwear."


	5. Shopping With The Girls

**Happy new year's everyone!**

**I don't like when chapters go over 3k words for some reason so I'm putting this one out now. In my mind, people don't want to read chapter that are too long. What do you guys think?**

**Anyway, here's chapter 5, enjoy!**

* * *

I sat on my computer chair as Nicole got ready for… whatever she was doing. Riven had also gone to get ready, taking just a shirt as I suggested she wear the work pants to make things easier. I tossed on a black shirt I'd just wear under my uniform as I browsed the internet.

Nothing new on the whole League thing; it was still down and no one had a clue why. I heard the door open and turned in my chair, seeing Nicole reading, holding her school backpack in her arms.

"Hey, you're a girl, right?" I asked, watching her face get annoyed, like usual. "I need a favor."

"What?" She asked, sitting on the bed as we waited for Riven.

"Riven needs… things. I want you to go with her," I said, standing up and stretching my arms.

"What?" She asked again, from my vague answer.

"She needs to buy underwear. I'm not going alone so you're coming with us," I said, grabbing and pocketing my stuff.

"Why not ask Mom? Why me?" Nicole asked, confused.

"Just do it. I don't want to explain to Mom why Riven doesn't have any underwear. She'll assume… nevermind. Please?" I asked, looking away quickly. I wasn't sure how much my sister knew about sex and I didn't want to find out.

"Why doesn't she? Did she get kicked out really suddenly or something?" Nicole asked, with a tone of concern.

"In a way, yeah. We can do that after I work, I'll go pick you up a bit after?" I asked, sitting back down. "Don't worry about her though, she's fine."

"Alright then. You have money then right?" She asked, tilting her head. I sighed.

"Hopefully after I declare bankruptcy. These holidays are brutal, I miss being a kid," I said. I was doing alright, after what I had to pay each month, I usually had about 250$ left over but with Christmas… all of that was nonexistent. "Yeah, I saved up all of last month so I still have like, 300$ for everything."

"I saw a bra covered in diamonds that was like, a few hundreds on the internet once," Nicole said, grinning. I stared at her blankly.

"Not like you'll ever need that," I said, standing up. I felt a jab at my back as Riven stood at the door. "Let's get going."

* * *

After dropping Nicole off, Riven and I sat outside her friend's house as we decided where to go. We had about an hour left before the three hour work shift so we ended up just heading to work and would just wait there. Once we got there, I grabbed our clothes as we headed inside.

"Basically today is just going to be a calm three hours since we're between lunch and dinner rushes. I don't usually work Saturday mornings, but since we did, we get a shorter Sunday… then its two days of relaxing," I explained, as we sat across from each other on a higher table.

"Am I going to be in the same place?" Riven asked, looking past me at the front counter. I peeked behind me and saw a manager there.

"Yeah. Usually I'd be where I was but seems like I'll be on the grill today. Probably someone needed yesterday off and they switched my schedule," I said, leaning back on my chair. "By the way, I convinced Nicole to go underwear shopping with us."

"Always a ladies man, aren't you?" A familiar voice said, causing me to turn back slowly. It was the grinning owner of the place, Carla, holding her uniform clipboard as she stood between us. "Tony told me Riven did alright for a first timer. She learned the computer fast, you must've taught her well."

"Well, yeah. I'm the best, remember?" I said, jokingly. _'Or maybe it's because she comes from a computer?'_

"Maybe. Either way, I'll hire her. She can share the same schedule as you since Lauren goes back to school soon anyway. Does she have her identification with her?" Carla asked, taking my seat after I stood up for her.

"About that… she doesn't really have any. Her moving in with my was… incredibly sudden," I said, completely unsure of how to phrase it. Carla stared at with a sly grin; I probably knew why.

"Sounds like she'll have a residency soon enough if she's already living with you," She said, smirking. I sighed.

"I- I don't think that's how it works… I'm not exactly legal myself, remember?" I said, seemingly snapping out of her thoughts by reminding her I only had a work permit.

"Anyway… I suppose it's not a problem… She'll just be paid in cash, that's not a problem, right?" Carla asked, as Riven shook her head. "I'm always glad to have good workers. I heard you didn't panic when a bus full of people came in, that's good."

"Where are we going today then?" I asked, as she stood up.

"You're on grill since Nick's here today. Riven'll be at the front till Veronica gets here at 5," She said, standing up. She looked around; the inside was almost empty, as it usually was until 5. She turned to Riven before leaving. "You treat him good, okay? He's a nice guy."

"I will, don't worry," Riven said, smiling.

I took back my seat, glaring at Riven, who giggled. I wondered if she was this way outside of battle in her world? Or if it really was just like a vacation right now; she had no worries and no matches to be a part of. Every time she seemed to be bubbly, she seemed out of place to me.

"You're having fun," I said, crossing my arms on the table.

"She seems nice. Why does everyone assume we're a couple?" Riven asked. I sighed.

"I don't know. Everyone here does that whenever two people are talking, pretty much. My parents… well, I haven't had a girlfriend in a while so they're wondering if I'm just hiding someone or if I'm gay," I said, wishing I was kidding.

"... Are you?" Riven asked, tilting her head. I flicked her forehead lightly.

"No. I'm just a loser," I said, sarcastically. "I don't know. I've been out of school so I rarely get to meet newer people… everyone in here is either married, dating someone, or too young."

"Well, I don't think you're a loser, don't worry," Riven said. "I'll help you find someone."

"Uhhh… I don't know about that… Maybe," I said, thinking of Riven being a wingwoman for me. Yeah, no.

* * *

After a very slow 3 hours of work, Riven and I prepared to switch with our respective replacements for the night shift. I had ended up half being on the grill and mostly bagging for Nick, my buddy on drive-thru. I kept an eye on Riven most of the times whenever a customer came in but she handled everything but the Spanish only speaking regulars just fine; whenever that happened, the manager or I would intervene, like usual.

At about, 5:12 pm, Riven, Nick, and I were all together leaving.

"Riven, this is my buddy Nick. Nick, Riven," I said, introducing them as we exited the building towards where we parked.

"Hey, nice to meet you," Nick said, waving. I was surprised to see him not question anything; he also played League of Legends. He was very smart, so he probably saw it as a mere coincidence… like I would've had this happened to anyone else. "Sorry about yesterday, shit came up and I needed to drive down to Jupiter for almost the entire night, it was a pain."

"No worries man, means I don't have to work much tomorrow so that's fine," I said. "I love having to leave early on sundays, the managers love it too."

After that, we said goodbye to each other as we split off. As we entered the car, I sat there quietly, with both hands at the wheel.

"I suppose we can go get Nicole now. She said she wouldn't be as long as yesterday," I said, beginning to drive. Riven nodded.

"Thank you," Riven began. She turned her head towards me. "Is it embarrassing for us to go together?"

"N-Not exactly. It's just… I have no idea what to look for… exactly. Figured asking another girl to come with us would make it easier," I said, looking around at the three mirrors. "Couldn't find a girl, so I asked Nicole."

"Do you dislike your sister?" Riven asked me.

"No, it's all just a joke… though I never imagined having to ask her to help me buy women's underwear," I said, smiling slightly.

"I'm sorry I'm making you do this, Riley," Riven said, looking forward.

"It's no problem… just something I'd never imagined I'd be doing. The same as driving around and working with a League champion," I said, as we pulled into the driveway of Nicole's friend's home. There were two cars already parked there; most people might be getting home around this time. I pulled out my phone and texted my sister we were outside. "I mean… I rarely even buy myself clothes. I usually let my mother handle that and just give her the money, honestly."

"Consider this payback for making me wear that bunny suit," Riven said, crossing her arms as she glared at me. I stared up.

"What? It makes you faster, in my mind," I said, feeling myself be pushed. I felt my phone vibrate and opened the reply from Nicole. It read: "Change of plans! Someone is going for me."

Once I finished reading that and was about to tell Riven about it, I heard a few taps on the window to my left. I lowered the window for the girl who was now waving. She seemed to be my age, probably an older sister and college student.

"Are you Nicole's pervy brother who needs panties?" She asked, grinning. If airbags weren't a thing, I'd probably have the Nissan logo permanently marked on my forehead.

"I'm sure she'll enjoy walking home," I said, getting out of the car. The girl looked like a normal, cute girl you'd see in school that would be out of your league. She wore shorts, a tank top covered by a striped hoodie, and sunglasses rested atop her head. "Name's Riley. Did Nicole tell you what we really needed though?"

"Of course; Angie, by the way," She said, as she sat in the backseat after I pushed the driver's seat forward. I quickly got in after and began to pull out of the house. "You must be Riven, nice to meet you."

"H-Hello. Are you a friend of Riley's?" Riven asked, waving slowly. Angie shook her head.

"First time meeting him. I'm his sister's friend's sister and professional twenty year old female who can handle your underwear situation," Angie said, leaning forward between the two seats. She looked at Riven's sleeve. "You guys work at Wendy's? How's that?"

"She started yesterday. I had to teach her a bunch until my boss hired her," I said, as Riven stared forward. Angie seemed… chattier than either of us, especially during a car ride.

"That's cool. So… why don't you have any underwear?" Angie asked, turning towards Riven. "Riven, was it?"

"I- I had to leave my old home very suddenly. I had no time to take anything aside from what I had on. Riley bought me some clothing but we forgot underwear," Riven answered, nodding at the beginning.

"Nicole says you two are such a cute couple," Angie said, placing her head between her crossed fingers. I sighed.

"She's definitely walking home," I mumbled, as we headed towards the mall.

* * *

"Oh, this mall," Angie said, as I pulled the driver seat forward and she exited the car. I stared at her, with confusion. "Thought we were going to the one in Royal Palm."

"I've never been to that one. I rarely come to the mall, is this one not good for underwear or something?" I asked, confused. She shrugged.

"Nah, I just know that one like the back of my hand. A mall is a mall, either way," Angie said, tapping her chin. She smirked and turned her head towards Riven, who stood besides me. "So, are we looking for regular panties or… sexier stuff?"

Riven stared at me, who must've looked like someone who stared at Cassiopeia too long.

"What would you want me to get?" Riven asked, tilting her head.

"I'm staying here, take my debit card and don't-" I began before being cut off by Angie grabbing both Riven and I's arms, pulling us into the crowded mall.

"Yeah right, you're coming with us. No way I'm shopping for your girlfriend alone," Angie said, giggling as I sighed.

We slowed to a walk and were released as we entered the mall. We had entered through one of the food courts and we followed Angie to wherever she was leading us.

"All kidding aside, we can probably find good stuff at JCPenny's, my bad, I should've told you to park on that side," Angie said, looking back at me.

"It's no problem, thanks for coming by the way," I said, after hearing Angie be serious for a change. She smiled brightly as we continued to walk alongside her.

"Oh, no problem! It was better than what I had planned for tonight," Angie said. "Weird how we've never run into each other. Your sister's been coming over alot lately."

"I just drop her off in the mornings. I either work after that or just relax at home," I said, as we neared the store. Riven moved with us quietly, scanning around as the crowds of people moved past us. I looked towards her. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Riven said, looking around again. I slowed my pace and leaned towards Riven.

"This is like a marketplace. Most people come here to hang out after work or school, usually. Now it's just flooded with people doing last minute Christmas shopping, I'm guessing," I explained, as Angie turned around. She stared at us, with a sly grin.

"Tryna sneak a kiss you love-birds?" She said, jokingly. "Anyway, let's go. You can be a normal boyfriend and sit around while we shop!"

Normally, I'd make a sarcastic retort… but I was in too deep. Angie was a vital part of my plan to not look like a perverted weirdo in the women's aisle… also I had to drive her home, so pissing her off should be avoided. Defeated, I followed Angie, who pulled Riven by her hand, still dressed in her red work shirt.

* * *

After half an hour of pleading for people to text me back and sitting around surrounded by bras and panties, Angie finally approached me. I looked up at her as if she was giving me my first drink of water in a year.

"Ready to go? Let's go," I said, eagerly standing up. Angie nodded her head with a smirk.

"What, you want to leave already? Don't wanna have Riven try on something more… promiscuous?" Angie asked, leaning forward.

'Yes.'

"No. You hungry?" I asked, as Riven appeared as if from nowhere. She was holding packs of stuff and other clothing. "Other stuff you liked?"

Riven nodded, looking away slightly.

"Is it okay?" Riven asked, looking up at me. My word, she was adorable.

"I'm starving. Let's go eat, I can buy the food," Angie said, as we walked towards the cashiers. Riven placed the stuff on the counter and the woman began to scan the stuff.

"Nah, don't worry. I got it," I said, toying with my debit card as the woman asked if we found everything alright.

"Yes, we did. Thank you," Angie said, smiling. She quickly hit me. "I can pay for it."

"What, it doesn't matter," I said, looking at her strangely. I handed the woman my card, who said the total was 35 something, extremely cheaper than I was expecting. I thanked the woman again as I grabbed the bags as the two followed me out and back into the mall. "I don't mind paying for friends. Don't think you owe me, or anything."

"My, old fashioned aren't we?" Angie said, jokingly… I hoped.

"So, where are we eating?" I asked, stopping near a wall, to avoid bothering people who might not be looking.

"I don't really know. Feel like getting anything from the food court?" Angie asked, crossing her arms. She turned to Riven, who was staring blankly into the sea of people. "Craving anything, Riven?"

"Not really. Anything will do," Riven said, looking at me.

"We didn't eat anything today, did we? We can go somewhere else, not like we have anything to do," I said, leaning against the wall. I turned to Angie. "Do you?"

"Nope. No class tomorrow so I can do what little homework I have later," Angie said. She raised her thumb to her lip before snapping her finger.

"Chilli's!"


	6. You're Different

**After tilting harder than a pinball machine, I decided to finish this chapter! I will not ADC from now on until I play a few games. **

**Anyway, hope you guys enjoy and are doing good. As always, I don't own anything yada yada all in good fun pls don't sue me I don't slander anything.**

* * *

"So, what are you studying?" I asked, looking over at Angie. "Psychology, like the rest of the world?"

We were sitting on a booth for four, as we had just entered the semi-crowded place. I sat on the inside of the booth and Angie sat across from me, while Riven sat beside me. (To which Angie commented on.)

"Ha, funny. I'm not sure yet, just finishing my AA this year, I got lazy and took like 3 classes for a semester," Angie said, taking a sip of her water. I relaxed on the seat and looked around. I wasn't too sure when this place became crowded but it was fairly calm right now. Angie looked at me. "What about you?"

"I have no idea. Just work for now, I'm technically an illegal immigrant still. I hear they're going to make it so I can pay resident prices for college eventually so probably that," I said, as Angie looked at me with wide eyes.

"W-Wait, you're driving us around without a license?!" She asked, a bit more loudly than I'd want to. I put my index finger on her forehead.

"Relax. How would I be working at Wendy's without a social security number?" I asked, as she stared at my finger with a bit of annoyance, which was cute. "I have a license, don't worry. Either way, I'm a great driver, no one would ever notice."

"You sure are cocky," Angie said, crossing her arms with a grin. "No wonder Nicole told me 'Good luck'."

"I treat you to dinner… and that's the thanks I get, huh?" I said, raising my glass; something I did when I didn't want to speak anymore, this time just to be playfully dramatic.

"Riven, you're quiet, you alright?" Angie asked, looking at Riven, who was looking towards another group of people. She seemed fascinated by people; she always seemed in thought. She snapped out of her trance and looked at Angie with her neutral face.

"I am alright. I've never been here before," Riven said. She was a very good actress… Her vague answers seemed to work on Angie and Carla. She turned to me. "I am curious about the finger to the forehead thing. You seem to do it often."

"Really?" I asked, lowering my glass. "It's something I used to do to Nicole to calm her down whenever she was getting angry at me for something dumb."

"Is that how all older brothers treat little sisters?" Angie asked, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "I treat my little siblings so nice and they're so sweet back, why don't you do that?"

"What's the fun in that? Even if I'm mean, she's stuck with me for life, isn't she?" I said, smirking. "I'm just a sarcastic person but c'mon. I give her rides whenever she asks and stuff, I'm a great brother."

"That girl does love you. You are a good brother," Riven said. She turned to me. "Is there a restroom here?"

"Yeah, it's right over there," Angie said, pointing near the back of the building. Riven nodded and began heading towards the bathroom. Angie leaned forward. "If she's not your girlfriend, you're really bad at hiding who you're crushing on."

"What?" I said, plainly. I sighed. "It's nothing like that. We're just friends and I help my friends."

"So… absolutely no romantic feelings?" Angie asked, leaning closer.

"No. She's a good friend," I said, breaking eye contact. "Just let that go alright? I get enough of that at home."

'_Plus… She's not exactly a real human… right?'_

"Fine, fine, sorry. Just curious. She's so quiet I'm starting to feel like a third wheel," Angie said, sitting back again. I stared blankly at her.

"Is this how you act with people you just met?" I asked, curiously. She nodded happily as Riven slowly sat back down. "Hey, find it alright?"

Riven nodded as a girl around our age, dressed in a waitress uniform, came to our table and introduced herself before asking if we were ready. Angie responded for everyone.

"Yes, we are!" Angie said before turning to me and tilting her head. "Hey, you can buy alcohol, right?"

"No."

* * *

I placed my pocketed stuff on my desk as I flopped onto the bed. After a quick dinner, I ended up dropping Angie off, who insisted we hang out again soon, and taking Nicole and Riven back home. My parents said there was dinner ready if we were hungry before I headed to my room. Riven sat on the edge on the side as I slowly sat up.

"Have fun today?" I asked, stretching my arms slightly, out of habit. Riven nodded slowly.

"I always have fun with you. Angie was nice also. Thank you again for everything, I appreciate it," Riven said, looking at the bags on my chair.

"No problem. Anything to make you feel more comfortable," I said, looking at her. "We work tomorrow then we have two days off. Anything you want to do?"

"Not sure. What do you usually do?" Riven asked me. I stared at her. _'Play video games and avoid all human contact for 48 hours straight?'_

"Uhhh, nothing really. We'll find something to do. Here, go shower so I can wash our clothes for tomorrow," I said, standing up. I went into my closet and grabbed another plain black shirt, one of my thousands, and handed it to her, along with her bag of feminine underwear. She grabbed the bag and shirt.

"Alright," Riven said, quickly, exiting the room.

I sat on my chair and checked my usual round of sites. I checked League of Legends again; servers were still down but I ended up finding an update by a Riot employee. It read that the servers went down after a power outage and they aren't coming back up for reasons unknown. Player's accounts are still there so there wouldn't be any losses and that ranked games ended by the outage wouldn't count against you.

"Huh, that's weird then. At least everything is still there," I said to myself, not wanting my account to vanish for no reason. That'd be a pretty penny gone. I plugged in one of my headphones and put some music on, while opening my Skype.

I began to type to one of my friends I had been playing with on Friday night. I asked if anything strange happened after League went down. After almost a minute he replied.

'Not really, why?'

'Uhhh… something kinda weird happened to me. You busy tomorrow night?'

'Not at night, what happened then?'

'I need to show you otherwise you won't believe me. I gotta go get ready to sleep, I'll text you tomorrow.'

With that, I closed the program and felt my phone vibrate then begin to ring. I stared at it and saw it was Angie, who was calling me. I answered with a slight sigh.

"Yo," I said, leaning back.

"Riven isn't like us, is she?" Angie's voice said. I bit my tongue.

"What do you mean? Of course she is," I said, nervously.

"Then she's some crazed cosplayer or something? Her hair didn't seem fake or anything, tell me what's going on," Angie said, with a serious tone.

"Why does it matter?" I asked, avoiding the question. _'How would she have found out anything?'_

"It doesn't, I'm just curious. I was talking to my brother about Riven and he showed me… League of Legend? Something like that and… that looked just like Riven," Angie said. "Sounded like her too and Riven's not exactly a common name."

"What do you think would've happened then?" I asked her, wondering what she was thinking.

"I'm wondering that myself, Riley. It's just all a bunch of coincidences? You tell me," Angie asked. She then sighed. "I'm sorry if I'm sounding weird, do you even play that game?"

"Yes, I do. Are you doing anything tomorrow night?" I said, feeling a bit relieved. Her apologetic tone made me felt she wouldn't do anything too impulsive.

"No, I'm free," She answered.

"I'll go to your house then. You're right, Riven isn't exactly like us. I'm not sure exactly what happened myself but I'll tell you tomorrow, alright? I have to go to work tomorrow morning so I need some sleep," I said, feeling relieved.

"Alright Riley, sorry if I sounded aggressive or anything like that… I'll see you guys tomorrow," Angie said, hanging up.

I put the phone on the charger and placed it back on the nightstand. I rubbed my forehead.

"Why me? I had a simple life two days ago, didn't I?" I said to no one, with a small smirk. I quickly changed into another shirt, leaving my two shirts on my chair, and put on gym shorts that had gone vastly underused until Riven showed up. I sat back down on the chair. _'I suppose I should explain to her what League is… I wonder how she'll react.'_

The Riven from League is supposed to be a prideful Noxian, who I assumed to be no-nonsense and straightforward. The Riven here was quiet, obedient, and shy; things I didn't associate with other Noxian champions but then again… she wasn't a typical Noxian champion.

"You alright?" A voice asked, snapping me back into reality. After nearly falling over, I spun myself back to see Riven sitting on the bed.

"Yeah, just thinking of stuff," I said, sitting forward. "Listen, I have some stuff to tell you."

"Is something wrong?" Riven asked, sternly.

"What? No, why do you think that?" I asked her.

"Just curious. It seems your family doesn't really want me here, is that why we're rarely here?" Riven asked, crossing her legs.

"Not at all. I was rarely here before you showed up. I don't have a problem driving Nicole around since my parents give me gas money for that usually," I said. "It's nothing bad just… it might shock you."

"What is it?" Riven asked. I stood up and motioned for her to sit in my chair. She slowly did; I grabbed the mouse and the computer lit up.

"In this world, League of Legends is… a game," I said, pointing to the icon. "When you appeared, the game seemed to shut off. No one can play right now and no one has any idea why."

"What do you mean, a game?" Riven asked, looking at the screen.

"During our last match, I was playing with two of my friends. One summoned Amumu and the other Lucian. We got paired up with two other random people who summoned who they wanted and then… the match happens and we do it again when its done," I said, opening the internet browser. I typed the first thing that came to my mind; a video of the season 4 world championship. "It's a huge deal… lots of people went to another country just to watch this."

"That's alot of people… So, my world isn't real," She began. "That's what you're saying?"

"It has to be. You're here, aren't you? If you remember everything then it can't just be a game," I said, pausing the video. "If someone asked me that three days ago, I'd agree."

"If that many people play this game, wouldn't that mean there's thousands of copies of me?" Riven asked. "You're right. This was a bit stunning."

"I'm still as confused as ever… just wanted to let you know everything I know. Everyone has access to your backstory, your League Judgement," I continued, as she stood up.

"Then why haven't any of you done anything about it?" Riven asked, sharply. "You see how Noxus has gone to shit yet you leave it be?"

"We can't do anything about that, I swear!" I pleaded. "It really is just matches that don't mean anything. Only once did a player match change anything and that was the Noxian invasion of Ionia."

"Alright. I trust your word, Riley," Riven said, sighing. "You wouldn't lie to me… I think."

"I'm an honest person, Riven. The way I treated Angie I would've treated you if I had just met you," I said, smiling. The conversation went a bit smoother than I expected. I sighed. "Angie did find out about that from her brother. She had no idea League of Legends existed so I wanted to explain it to her tomorrow."

"Angie is a nice girl. Do you like her?" Riven asked, tilting her head. I stared at her as I turned off the lights and jumped onto the bed.

"No, go to sleep. We work in the morning," I said, pulling the sheets over me. Riven crawled over me onto the other side and pulled the sheets down, revealing my head.

"You said you wanted me to help you get a girlfriend," Riven said, with a fiendish grin.

"I said maybe, which pretty much meant no. I don't need a girlfriend. Angie probably has a boyfriend anyway," I said, turning to face the champion. She shook her head.

"She does not," Riven said. I couldn't see her expression anymore.

"How do you know that?" I asked, curiously.

"We spoke about things while you were sitting and looking at us in that store," Riven said. I coughed jokingly.

"Wasn't staring. You just caught me at a bad time," I said, laying on my back. "It's fine though, don't worry about it. I'd rather have another friend than a girlfriend right now."

"Yeah, sure, summoner," Riven said, with a quiet laugh. "Goodnight."

"You're walking to work tomorrow."


	7. League Of Smash Bros

**Here is chapter 7!**

**Hope every's placement matches went/are going well. I'm waaaaaaay to terrified to do mine because the synergy my friends and I had during the off-season completely vanished. Also due to a lack of playing, my skill need to return to me and I'm pretty much legally forced to never play Jinx again. Time to me to head back into the top lane!**

**As always, I don't own anything mentioned here, only enjoy the products. (In this chapter, Super Smash Bros. 3ds.)**

* * *

The final moments of a Sunday work day was what I was living for lately. Once the clock hit 5 and my replacement came in, I was already standing at the Manager's office door with my headset off and a smirk. It had been normally busy and the 5 o' clock transition was smooth. As I met up with Riven and began to walk out, I pulled out my phone and texted Angie.

"You get paid tomorrow," I said, looking at Riven. She stared at me confusedly.

"Really? It's only been a few days…" Riven asked, speaking just as confusedly.

"It's every two weeks and that doesn't change for people who start even a day before. You won't get too much but we still have to come pick it up tomorrow morning," I said, as we entered the car.

"Alright. Are we going to see Angie now?" Riven asked, as I nodded and began to drive.

"Yep," I said, heading the usual way for me now. Nicole had been going over there for nearly two weeks, something about a project for her English class.

"Do you want to be alone with her? I have no problem waiting," Riven asked, as I peeked at her to my sides.

"No, you're part of the conversation, remember?" I said, sighing slightly. "Let's not have her think you're some insane person and today will be a success."

"The only insane one is you, Riley," Riven said, with a serious tone.

"What makes you say that?" I asked, curiously. Riven smirked.

"No reason. You're one of the three people I know here and you seem like the most insane one," Riven said, as we pulled into Angie's home. I pulled out my phone and texted her.

"Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment," I said, shaking my head. Angie immediately texted back, saying to come in. "She says to come in, let's go."

We got out of the car and I locked it before we both headed to the entrance, where Angie was waiting. She was wearing shorts and a white shirt; something I'm guessing she put on when she woke up and wasn't about to change till tomorrow. I raised a hand at her.

"Yo, you shouldn't have dressed up for us," I said, sarcastically. She huffed.

"You're lucky I got dressed at all… Or would you rather me not have? You pervert," Angie said, crossing her arms. She turned to Riven and smiled. "Hello Riven, nice to see you again."

"Who does homework naked, you freak," I asked, as she moved inside the house and we followed. As we entered, I stared at Nicole and another girl sitting on the couch holding Wii remotes. "How's that project thing going? How'd you get here?"

"I forgot to ask you so dad brought me today. We're taking a break," Nicole said, smirking. I looked at the screen. They were playing the new Smash Bros, which I had for 3ds and Nicole often stole when I was at work. I had no objections since she did me the favor of unlocking my favorite character.

"Follow me," Angie said, as we moved through her house. She led us to her room. It was a simple, light blue room with dressers cluttered with plushies and figurines. She had a computer desk with a laptop and a small fishbowl next to it. Riven sat on the bed aside Angie and I sat in her computer chair and looked into the bowl. "How was work?"

"Fine. Weirdly calm for a Sunday morning. What'd you do all day?" I asked, leaning back on the chair.

"Homework, other stuff, nothing special," Angie said, crossing her legs on her bed. She looked over at Riven who was staring at the small, Betta fish. "You like fish, Riven?"

"They're calming to look at. Does it have a name?" Riven asked, turning to the girl. Angie nodded.

"Azure, I've had him for nearly a year now, I think," Angie said. She turned to me. "So… tell me."

"I spoke to Riven about it last night. I was playing with some friends a few nights ago and there was a power outage. After a few minutes, I figured I should just go to sleep and when I got into my bed, she was there. She doesn't know any specifics either," I began, crossing my arms.

"I remember everything from where I came from but Riley said it might not even be real," Riven said, looking at me. I avoided eye contact.

"I don't know how but I have to find out why it happen and how we can send her back. Even the people who made League don't know exactly what happened, everything just crashed but all their files are intact," I said, looking up at Angie. "So… that's that."

"Interesting. Well, I'll help you," Angie said, pushing herself up. "With… Whatever. When we find out what we can even do."

"Alright. You sounded like you wanted to kill me on the phone last night," I said, following her with my eyes.

"No, don't worry. You haven't given me a reason yet," Angie said, grinning. "C'mon, lets go."

"Where?" I asked, as Riven stood up.

"To play Smash. Nicole wants me to shut you up," Angie said. I smiled as I slowly stood up.

"Well, you can try."

* * *

I laid back as Angie stared at me, ready to throw the Gamecube controller at my head. Luckily if she did that, the Wii U would end up coming along with it so I was safe. I turned my head to her.

"What? Did Nicole tell you I wasn't good at this game or something?" I asked. She huffed. "Hey, you won… once. That's pretty good."

"Aren't you supposed to let ladies win?" Angie asked, putting the controller on the table.

"Not when the lady challenges me so rudely," I said, grinning. I looked at Riven. "So did you end up liking anyone in particular?"

"That… Lucina character was interesting. Although I doubt I'll ever be very good at these games," Riven said, still holding the controller in her hands. We had all played a few times; some free-for-alls, followed by Angie challenging me to 1v1's, and then both the girls against me.

"Whatever, you probably cheated somehow, you loser," Angie said, crossing her arms.

"Maybe you're just a sore loser," I said, as she pushed my face away slightly.

"You're a jerk, you know that?" Angie said, giving me a final, playful push. "You're lucky your sister is adorable."

"Maybe it's that I'm adorable? Don't worry. I'm terrible with any other character," I said, as Angie stood up. My inner teenage boy couldn't help but take over as I stared at her… well, her butt. I immediately looked up at her when she turned around however; a skill I mastered in high school.

"You wish. You guys thirsty?" Angie asked. I nodded as Riven did, slowly. "Is water fine? I don't know if we have much else right now."

"Yeah, it's fine, thanks," I said, as Angie quickly headed towards the kitchen. Riven turned to me. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing in particular. I'm glad Angie wasn't freaked out or anything. I'm trying not to think about… how everything might not be real," Riven said, staring forward. She raised her head. "It's funny… I find myself missing my old mundane life. Maybe its because I feel so weak here despite not needing to be strong."

"I'm sorry I'm not much help right now. I'm not sure how long it'll take to figure out what happened but I won't give up," I began. "Trust me on that, if anything."

"I do. You've done nothing wrong. You're a very selfless person, Riley," Riven said, smiling at me. I smirked and leaned back on the couch again.

"Yeah, I just like people being happy, even though I'm such a jerk to Angie and Nicole. That's kinda the reason I'm always at the drive-thru at work; I'm patient and the managers asked me so others can go elsewhere," I said, sighing quietly near the end. "Either way, I hate it… but it'll be fine."

"You don't seem to dislike it. Do you really?" Riven asked me. I nodded.

"Yep. It just depends on the day. Sometimes we don't have enough people and I'm alone there. Sometimes a very rude person comes and ruins my day. I stress myself easily but in the end of the day, the people I work with are like another family, in a way," I said. I grinned. "Never thought I'd be working alongside a League champion either so that's a plus."

"I suppose I never expected that either," Riven said, laughing. Angie returned holding three cups of water. She set them down in a triangle, just as she had been holding them. She grabbed the Gamecube controller again.

"Alright, no more mercy, let's go Riley," Angie said, almost downing all of the water in one gulp. I sighed and grabbed the controller, turning towards Riven.

"Alright, alright. Riven, watch this."

* * *

After being asked to leave by a bitter Angie and sporting a pink mark from her fist on my forehead, I took Riven and Nicole home almost an hour later. It was almost 8:30 p.m so we most likely missed dinner; a norm for me nowadays. We headed up the stairs as a brisk wind hit us.

"Finally, it's getting cooler. I hate Florida winter," Nicole said, rubbing her arms with a smile. I nodded in agreement.

"At least it's less humid. That's all I mostly care about," I said, as I opened the door. I hadn't ever seen snow so I was in no position to judge how living with it is but warm weather isn't as nice as everything thinks it is when there's 90% humidity almost daily. "I especially miss having to wait for the puddles at work to dry before driving to home."

"I remember that," Nicole said, laughing at my dismay. "You came home like, three hours later."

"Shut up, that was miserable. Three hours of free time spent sitting there alone," I said, as I shut and locked the door behind me. My father was on the couch watching something on tv as my mother was on her laptop at the cleared dinner table, which was rarely used during weekends. "Yo, we're home."

"Hey guys ther- What happened to your forehead?" My mother asked, standing up, nervously.

"Nothing, just Angie being dumb," I said, waving her off. I was about to say 'Girl troubles' but quickly switched to avoid any more awkward talking.

"Who's Angie? Someone we should know about?" My mother asked, grinning as she sat back down. I sighed and looked at Riven, while Nicole spoke up.

"Jamie's older sister. They were playing some video game after work. We invited them over," Nicole said. I was shocked she took my side for once.

"Well, don't hesitate to marry her. I want grandchildren remember, lots of them," My mother said, jokingly… I hoped.

"Alright, I will, don't worry," I said, grabbing Riven's hand and quickly vanishing into my room.

* * *

I sat on my chair as I returned from my shower to see Riven on her normal spot on the bed. I threw some food pellets into the left side of my fish tank and snuck an algae wafer in the right before turning towards Riven. She had showered first and I put out clothing in the wash; the time was nearing midnight after everything.

"Sorry if today was boring. Any idea what you want to do? We have two days to do whatever," I asked, as she stared at the fish, who fought for the food despite there being enough for them all.

"No, it was fine. I was fine just watching you guys. Angie seemed very into it," Riven said. I nodded.

"She seems competitive… or stubborn, I can't tell yet," I responded.

"You're as stubborn as she is," Riven said. I nodded; I couldn't deny my stubborness. "What was Nicole talking about earlier? Why did you wait 3 hours before leaving work?"

"Oh, that. It rains alot here… especially during summer. Where I park during work can get flooded when the leaves and garbage clogs the drains so if I would've driven, it would've been dangerous," I said, turning off the computer monitor. "Those big, loud trucks come in handy sometimes… despite making my ears bleed."

"How dangerous? What do you mean?" Riven asked, moving to her side as I turned off the main light, leaving only the faint light of the aquarium as the room's light source. I sat on the edge.

"Water makes tires and roads slippery. Also because my car is lower to the ground, it might not even start if it gets flooded, I didn't wanna risk it," I said, laying back on the backboard. "You want to learn to drive?"

"Don't I need a … license?" Riven asked, remembering what Angie so bluntly shouted yesterday.

"Yeah but you can still learn just in case. My dad had to drive for years illegally but hey, if you drive calmly, you won't get in trouble…" I said, turning to her seriously. "Don't do the things I murmur when I drive."

"If you think I should then I will try," Riven said, nodding.

"It's no rush. We'll get to it whenever we have nothing to do. Usually the parking lot around here is pretty empty during the week so we'll have space," I said, pulling the sheets over us. Riven sat up suddenly, I turned to her. "You alright?"

"There's something out there, Riley," Riven said, turning towards me. Her face was serious looking.

"What do you mean?" I asked, sitting up as well. Riven stood up and grabbed my arm. "Hey, wait!"

* * *

Riven quickly took me outside and onto the parking lot. She looked around quickly, as if scanning the area for something. She finally let me go and I caught my breath.

"W-What do you mean there's something here?" I asked, confusedly.

"I feel something appearing here… from my world," Riven said, stepping forward into the small area full of cars.

Quietly, I followed the champion. She moved around the area, unsure of what she was even sensing. She turned to me after a few minutes of searching to no success.

"Do you sense anything odd?" She asked, crossing her arms as the chilly wind seemed to finally affect her. I shook my head.

"Nothing. How do you know it's something from your world?" I asked, as she rubbed her forehead.

"I- I just know. I can't explain it," Riven said, as she turned her head around. She sighed. "Whatever it was… it's gone now."

"Want to keep looking around?" I asked, as she shook her head.

"No, it's alright… we should just get some sleep. Sorry I dragged you out here," Riven said, as we began to walk back towards the apartments.

"It's fine. If you get that feeling again let me kn- what," I began, being cut off by my phone's ringtone. I looked at the screen and cringed slightly, seeing Angie's name. I reluctantly answered. "Angie, it's-"

"We're going to the beach tomorrow!"

"After your funeral," I sighed, turning to Riven. "Looks like we have plans tomorrow."

Past Riven, I saw something move near the canal behind the apartments. I quickly grabbed Riven's arm as we moved, fearing any weird animals coming our way, while listening to Angie's commands.

Somehow, I was starting to miss my manager's voice through the phone.


	8. I Hate The Ocean

**Here is chapter 8. This story is moving along kinda slowly but that's alright. I do have an idea of what I want to do with it and it will be fairly long. Also, I got placed into Silver 5 this season which made me upset but after most of my friends list got placed in Bronze... I took it as a blessing in disguise. **

**Also, maybe it's just that I'm a loser but one person PM'ed me and told me they really liked my Veracity story and began reading this one after that. That made me so happy. People are reading what I write and even enjoying it? Thank you all for reading my stuff! I love hearing what you think!**

* * *

I stared at myself on the window of my car. I looked up and over it as Riven got into the passenger side. I wondered if ninteen year old Riley imagined any of this would happen when he decided to give League of Legends another chance. Of course he wouldn't have; video game characters never jumped out of their games.

'I haven't used any swimming trunks in years… Why did I even agree to this?'

A long yawn later, I got inside the car and threw my black backpack into the backseat. I packed whatever I thought we'd need; towels, changes of clothing, money for food. I also brought my 3ds just in case; I wasn't much of a swimming person.

"Let's go get your pay from work then we'll go get Angie," I said, staring the car and immediately lowering the A/C back to the high 60's from almost 75. I began to drive before Riven spoke up.

"Do people here usually make plans on such short notice?" Riven asked. I smirked.

"Not really. I hate things like that but I suppose Angie doesn't think much about what happens before we reach our destination," I suggested.

"Do you hate Angie?" Riven asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"No, I meant that… I don't like plans being made on such short notice. I like knowing ahead of time," I said, explaining my punctuality. I usually stressed myself out if I'm late to anything, a habit I'm not sure where I picked up comparing it to my procrastination and average grades in school. "I don't hate anyone, it's hard for me to hate anyone."

"I know, I just didn't understand what you meant," Riven said, looking out the window as we headed to the same way I did four times a week.

"There are beaches in Valoran, right?" I asked, unsure if she knew. She nodded.

"There are. I haven't ever been to one. I hear Ionia has very pretty ones," Riven said, turning to me. "Is what I'm wearing appropriate then?"

"Angie said she had something for you," I said, looking at her. "Not sure what that means but if anything, we can go get something."

"Will we need Nicole?" Riven asked. I stammered.

"O-Of course not!... We'll have Angie," I said, pulling into the nearby Wendy's we worked at. I parked in my usual spot; the corner spot I could see from the window. Another of my weird quirks was that I felt more comfortable seeing my car while working, probably so I always had an option to blast the alarm if a customer was difficult.

We both exited the car and I realized I was wearing swimming trunks. I realized this was going to be material for the management to joke with, as I was such a serious worker. Either way, we entered the restaurant and saw it nearly empty. It rarely became busy until after around 11:30 with the exception of the occasional family heading to Disney World. I headed up to the counter and waved at the blond girl at the drive-thru window, who was considered my polar opposite. She worked when I didn't, was more calm with the customers but I was normally faster with most tasks, but we rarely spoke due to our schedules.

"Yo, can you get Carla?" I asked, as she walked over to me. She nodded and headed to the back. I knew what she was feeling; a curse of working drive thru was whenever you wanted to do something, someone came to the window and you had to rush back there. She came back with the head manager and went towards the computer, signaling I was right.

"Why are you here so early? Thought you had direct deposit now?" Carla asked, noticing my bottom wear. "Oh, taking your girlfriend to the beach? Thought you hated the beach?"

"I do and not my girlfriend. You said you'd pay her in cash right?" I asked, as she tilted her head.

"Riley, I never said I was going to pay her," Carla said, shaking her head. I stared at her. She began to laugh. "Relax, I'm joking. Even on your days off, you're so serious."

She opened the pink binder where the checks were and handed me a pen. Even though I had direct deposit, I still had to sign for the stub. I signed the paper and she handed me a few twenty dollar bills and I handed her the pen back.

"Alright, alright. Thanks," I said, accepting the truth. "I'll see you Wednesday then."

I took my leave as Riven followed me from the table she had sat in. Just as quickly as we came into the place, we were back in the car and I handed her the money.

"Here, that's yours," I said, starting the car. She grabbed it and stared at it blankly.

"You should keep it. I have no idea what to use it for," Riven said, extending her hand again. I grabbed it back, thinking of where she would even put it.

"If you need anything else, just let me know then, alright? You earned this so I don't like just taking it," I said, beginning to drive. "Extra money is nice though."

"You can use it to buy Angie things," Riven said, looking at me. I stared forward and headed towards her College.

"It's too early for this, mom."

* * *

What ended up happening the night before was this: Angie, after keeping my attention for five seconds, decided we were all going to the beach. I asked how she wanted to do this and she surprised me by having thought everything out. She said her mother works at the college (surprise, surprise) and she could get a ride with her.

I sat in the car as Angie walked towards us, dressed as if she was arriving onto the beach instead of on her way to it. I got out and she walked next to me as I pulled the seat forward.

"Hey, I didn't wake you up, did I?" She asked, with a grin. I stared at her, stunned.

"No, I was asleep the entire time, even during the call," I said, with no sarcasm in my voice. She crossed her arms.

"An invite to go to the beach with two beautiful girls and you're being so sour about it… are you even into women?" Angie asked, as she got into the car. I got back in as she greeted Riven.

"What made you so suddenly want to go to the beach?" I asked, as I began to head towards the beach Angie mentioned.

"It's getting colder! We need to cherish the last days of warmth before winter comes," Angie said, dramatically.

"You mean the week of cold? Not even on Christmas week? That winter?" I asked, foretelling of another Floridian 'Winter'.

"Exactly. So… let's go to beach since we'll never know when that week is coming," Angie said, taking her usual spot inbetween Riven and I's arms. "You know where the beach I'm talking about is, right?"

"Yep. I had like, 10 birthday's in the park across from it," I responded, which was true. The park was really nice, I loved it.

"Convenient. Anywaaaaay," Angie said, turning towards Riven. "I got you a bathing suit."

"Thank you Angie, I appreciate it," Riven said, politely.

"Of course. It's nice to finally have people to hang out with, most of my other friends never want to do anything but you always do, Riley," Angie said, grinning at me. I glared at her for a second before returning my eyes to the road. "What, do you not have fun with me?"

"Oh, of course I do. You're just a bit too hyper for me," I said, following the vaguely familiar road. I'd never driven there myself but I have seen it enough to nearly have. "All my friends work or go to school and then have apparently hours of homework."

"Yeah, homework isn't that big of a deal. All you have to do is not procrastinate and do stuff ahead of time since everything is online," Angie said, as she swayed with the curved road. She stretched forward. "The houses here are so nice, I bet they're like, a million dollars."

"Probably a couple… Bet having the beach so close bumps up the price. I love these kind of roads, makes me wish I still had a bike," I said. Angie turned to Riven.

"Has he taken you downtown yet?" Angie asked.

"No, what is that?" Riven asked, staring at me. Angie turned to me with an evil grin.

Instead of waiting for her to say her probably inappropriate comment, I grabbed the gear stick and pulled it back, hitting her head with my elbow lightly enough to just push her back. She sat up straight and crossed her arms.

"What was that for? I was just wondering," Angie asked, huffing.

"Sorry, changing gears," I said, quickly pushing the stick forward back to where it was.

"What, I thought this car's automatic?" Angie asked, as I prepared my head for a smack.

"You'd be right."

* * *

The nearest parking from the beach we were going to was at the park, down a hill from the main road and across the street from the beach. There was another way without the hill but since we packed light, it wasn't a problem, either way Angie was going to throw all her bags on my back. I grabbed my bag and the two towels I brought as Angie got out of the car and stretched her arms.

"Feels so nice to get out of those stupid classrooms," She said, grinning brightly, as Riven and I walked behind her. She turned to us with her hands on her hips. "After these exams are done, I can finally relax."

"Funny, you don't seem too stressed for someone who needs to relax," I said, as we began to walk towards the park.

"I don't need to be stressed. It's still time I have to allocate, right?" Angie said, grabbing a confused Riven's hand and began walking faster. "Let's go get you changed, Riley, stay here."

"Alright, if you insist," I said, as we reached the tall building that had the bathrooms and a nice view at the top. I moved towards the railings and stared out towards the parked boats as I grabbed my phone from my pocket, which I hadn't checked since the morning.

I had a message from my friend Greg, who asked where I was yesterday. I replied to him that I forgot and that I'll explain later and that nothing was urgent. After that, I just kept the phone in my hand while waiting, thinking it'd be a while.

Almost ten minutes later, the two girls came out of the building and towards the bench I found myself on. Angie came out with her usual evil grin and grabbed my arm, picking me up. She moved close to me.

"Prepare to cover your waist," Angie said, as I stared at her blankly.

"How are you a girl?" I asked, as Riven came into view. Angie had gotten her a brown two piece swimsuit and given her a similar colored towel to wrap around her waist, as if she planned to stun me. While that initially worked as a makeshift Ki Burst stun, I smirked. "You look nice, Riven. Let's get going?"

"Nothing? Really? You're definitely gay," Angie shouted, crossing her arms, as I flicked her forehead and began to walk, with Riven in tow.

"Thanks mom."

We quickly reached the beach, which was more crowded than I expected it, especially considering it was only a Monday. I laid down our two towels and grabbed Angie's while putting out bags on her's. I sat down on my own towel as Riven copied me and Angie stood over us.

"So, has anything eventful happen to you guys today?" Angie said, quickly laying down I between us. Riven sat with her arms around her legs as I checked my phone, out of habit. Riven spoke up.

"Yesterday night, I felt something weird. Felt like something from my world," Riven said, as she looked around at the people. Angie sat up and stared at Riven.

"What was it? Did you guys find out?" She asked, turning to me, as I shook my head.

"No, it vanished just as quickly as it appeared. We went looking," Riven said, turning towards us.

"What if we have to go on some magic journey to get Riven back to her world?" Angie said, turning towards me, excitedly. "Two valiant heroes unite to return a lost maiden to her homeland."

"I don't think Riven is much of a damsel in distress," I said, sighing at Angie's imagination. "She's more of a hero than we are anyway."

"You're no fun, Riley. How is my scenario any weirder than our current situation?" Angie said. I was stunned at that realization as she stood up and extended her arms. "C'mon, let's go swim."

"You guys go," I said, shaking my head. Angie shrugged her shoulders as she more or less pulled Riven towards the ocean. I was surprised Angie didn't insist on why.

* * *

After nearly half an hour, the two girls returned and Angie wasted no time as she sat next to me, her wet hair dripping on my arm. I put the book I had down and welcomed them back.

"So, why don't you want to swim?" Angie asked, as Riven looked over as well.

"I don't like the ocean," I began, and continued when Angie went to open her mouth. "When I was younger I saw a giant ray under my feet while I swam and I never got into an ocean again. Even in video games, I'd rather turn the system off then fall into an ocean."

"You could've said something, we could've gone somewhere else," Angie said, tying her hair back into a bun. I shook my head.

"Nah, it's fine. I still like the beach," I said, turning my head towards both of them. "Plus, Riven's never been to a beach till now."

"We were talking a bit earlier. We should take her downtown though," Angie said. "It's what separates us from the boring parts of south Florida."

"We can go tonight then, I don't have anything else planned," I said, as Angie laid back down.

"Alright, plans!"

As I smirked, I looked up at Riven, who was staring intently into the skies. I turned to where she was looking; a bunch of black clouds were in the distance.

"It's going to rain, we should go soon," Riven said, to me. Her face was emotionless. I nodded.

Something seemed strange, there had been no reports of rain today. I ignored the clouds and began grabbing our stuff.

Riven stared at the clouds while we packed our stuff and Angie idly chatted with me.

I had a feeling something would happen to make this day not a peaceful.


	9. Dangerous Game

**Usual excuses aside, the laptop I liked to use to write is no more :( This was supposed to come out on valentine's day because I love all my readers so let's just pretend its the 14th, alright?**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

After packing our stuff, the girls changing, and returning to the car, we were all soon in our way. It was going to be a fairly long drive since the beach was almost half an hour away from where we even started and downtown was half an hour from where I lived.

Nearly twenty minutes into the drive, I heard the sound of a seatbelt unbuckling and an already fidgety Angie found herself back on the middle of the two front seats.

"Gosh, how can you drive so quietly? I hate driving, it's so boring," Angie said, yawning.

"I love driving. Is that why you're so eager to let me to drive?" I asked, looking down at her quickly. She nodded.

"Yep! You should be honored, I've never been in another guys car with my clothes on," she said, laughing. I stared forward, stunned. "I'm kidding, what, you think I'm like that, you pervert?"

"Are we supposed to be naked?" Riven asked, confusedly. Angie sat up and grinned, which I saw in the rear view mirror. "Is that something people do here?"

"Yes," she said, pulling her shirt up, revealing her gray bra. I looked forward. "Gay guys don't usually mind."

"Like this?" Riven asked, mimicking Angie. I resisted the urge to slam on the brakes.

"I work, I pay rent and bills, I graduated from school... Why?" I mumbled with a smile, as we stopped at a red light. Angie was dying as she went back into her usual place.

"Calm down, Riley. I'm glad we finally got to meet," Angie said, as Riven stared at her.

"Me too," Riven said, smiling. "It's... Strange to not have to feel such pressure everyday."

"Pressure?" Angie asked, turning back to her. She nodded.

"Pressure to do well. I spent most days training alone. Everyone has their own reasons for joining the League. I always felt pressured to do well or everything I do would've been a waste," Riven said, crossing her arms slightly. "Just my nature, I guess. I've never really had much interaction with carefree people."

"Well, I'm as carefree as you can get. We'll have loads of fun before we find out how to get you back," Angie said, as Riven nodded.

"That sounds great, thank you," Riven said, quietly.

"Anyway, enough flashing. Not now, at least," I said, as we continued on our way. Angie pushed my arm slightly.

"Did we just convert you? You don't have to change who you are," she said, jokingly.

"Well, maybe Riven did," I said, receiving another playful hit.

* * *

After spending a few hours back at Angie's house because we both agreed it was more fun during the night, I ended up being the chauffeur to the additional two people coming with us. My sister, who had magically appeared at Angie's house after their school let out, along with Angie's little sister, Jamie. Angie's mother insisted on paying me for my troubles and ended up giving me thirty dollars for food and gas, which I thanked her for as we ended up leaving.

As much as I hated driving at six when the sun's rays were on the horizon, we soon reached the multistory parking for downtown area; a very, well known area named City Place. A rival high school to mine was located right next to the area, where Nicole was primed to go to in a year.

When we found a spot near the stairs/elevators on the third floor, Angie led our small group. We reached the main area of the circle plaza; surrounded by shops and in the center was a stage surrounded by fountains, where a band usually played later at night.

"Man, I haven't been here in a while," I said, as Angie turned with a smile.

"Right? It's mostly high school kids lately, I never have time either," she responded. She looked up at the cloudy sky. "I hope it doesn't rain too hard."

"So, what do you guys want to eat?" I asked the two girls, who had been chattering behind us.

"Let's go to that pizza place near the Chinese food restaurant," Jamie suggested, as Nicole nodded.

"Pizza sounds good," Nicole agreed, as I turned to Riven and Angie. Angie nodded as Riven continued her trend of being dazzled by every new location.

We walked out of the plaza and into one of the nearby streets. I asked Nicole and Jamie to lead the way because they knew where the place was better than any of us. Even if I came here once a week, I'd still get lost in the maze of streets.

We got into the small restaurant and were quickly seated. We ordered two pizza's; two cheese ones after a small fight over random toppings. Outside, it had begun to drizzle lightly.

"Well, good thing we got inside before it started," Nicole said, looking back. She sat alongside Jamie across from the three of us in a booth for six. "You guys went to the beach?"

"Yeah, not for long because this guy is afraid of water," Angie said, looking over at me. I shrugged.

"Not water, oceans," I corrected, as Nicole nodded in agreement.

"That's true. The pool is fine," Nicole added.

"Either way, it was nice. Riven and I went in the water and talked," Angie said, as Riven nodded.

"It was. The water was nice," Riven said, with a smile.

The two girls continued to talk about school as Angie began to ask Riven cleverly hidden questions about Valoran. I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. My parents had texted me about if we were gonna be home for dinner. I told them probably not and I can get something for them if they wanted. As I put the phone back, Angie grabbed my wrist.

"I need to go to the car," Angie said, turning to me. "I felt my bag behind."

"Uhm... Why? I'm paying for this anyway," I asked, confused. I looked outside. "It's pouring out anyway."

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, come with me," Angie said, as she stood up.

"We don't have an umbrella," I sighed, as she turned and looked around. She walked up to an elderly couple as Riven stood up and looked at me.

"Is everything alright? Should I go too?" Riven asked, as I shook my head and handed Nicole my wallet.

"Nah, we'll be fine. Just relax, the food should be coming here soon," I said, turning to my sister. "Just in case. I doubt we'll be long. Order mozzarella sticks, I want some."

As Nicole nodded and Riven sat down, Nicole came back holding a black umbrella, waving at the couple with a smile. She handed me the umbrella and nodded with a grin.

"Sometimes you just have to ask people, let's go," Angie said, pulling me out, into the humid and pouring streets.

I opened the umbrella and felt relieved that I wore my work shoes, which didn't have holes underneath. We walked slowly around puddles and closely. I kept the umbrella more on her side, confident in my warmer clothes. She shivered as a breeze hit us both.

"So what's so important that we're walking in the rain with an old couples umbrella?" I asked. She stared forward.

"No reason. Fuck, it's cold," she said, rubbing her bare arms. "Weren't we at a sunny beach this morning?"

"Florida is the best state," I said, as she smiled.

"True. Guess we have to put up with the rain instead of snow," Angie said, as we crossed a street and were back near the circle plaza, which meant a dry, roofed area.

"I've never seen snow so I wouldn't know," I said, judging my reaction to snow from my friends. She stared at me.

"Really? We should go north then. I haven't either," Angie said, crossing her arms. "You like driving right?"

"I don't think I'm due for a vacation at work anytime soon," I said, laughing. "Someday though, we can."

"You're actually nice to me when we're alone," Angie said. She grabbed my arm. "Getting a little crush, huh? Being around Riven makes you shy?"

"Well, confidence is always attractive in a woman," I said, as we got under the roofs of the main plaza. I shut the umbrella as we headed back towards the elevators. "I'm always like this. I had no one to talk to but sixteen year old girls, married Spanish women, and Nicole before I met you and Riven showed up. Without school, I don't have much of a social life."

"Have you never had a girlfriend or something?" Angie crudely asked.

"I have. Only two. One cheated on me and the other was too different from me," I said, climbing the stairs. Angie followed behind me.

"Cheaters are the worst. Don't cheat on me, Riley," Angie said, turning her head at me, with squinted eyes.

"That'd be hard since, you know, we're not dating," I said, as I unlocked the car. She pulled the seat forward and grabbed her bag/purse, whatever it was, and just as quickly closed the car and I locked it. She turned to me.

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

"No problem, let's go back," I began. She grabbed my arm again.

"No, I like nice Riley, I wanna talk to him a bit longer," Angie said, quietly. She pulled me and I rested against the car.

"What so you wanna know then?" I asked, stretching my arms. My elbows cracked; the best feeling.

"What do you think of me?" Angie asked, looking up at me. I stared at the roof of the garage.

"You're energetic. You're like, my opposite," I began, grinning. "What do you want me to say? I'm not very confident."

"Why not? You don't act like you're not?" Angie asked me. I nodded.

"Around Riven, no. I'm not the best looking guy, I'm too sarcastic, I have a simple life, car, job," I continued. I looked around, seeing movement in my peripheral. Just people heading to their cars, I guessed. "I'm rambling. Let's just get back, we've barely eaten anything today."

"Why does that matter? I never said any of that," Angie asked, tilting her head.

"Let's just say if I was in college with you, I wouldn't talk to you because I know you'd be out of my league," I said, grinning. I crossed my arms and looked at her. "Did that answer your question?"

"I guess. You're too hard on yourself, stop that, you idiot," Angie said, pushing me playfully.

"And I'm also an idiot," I said, jokingly. "I don't know Angie, what do you want from me?"

"Be my boyfriend!" Angie said, grabbing my hand. She quickly let it go and looked away slightly. "I know we just met but... You're way better than anyone I've met in a long time."

A gust of wind blew as I stood there, unsure of what to say. No sarcastic remark either. I heard a weird noise and saw another thing move near another car a few yards away. The figure seemed familiar and I stared around; no cars had come since we got there, it was strange. I felt like I had been in this moment for years.

"What do you say, Riley?" Angie asked, quietly. I pulled her with me.

"Stay with me, we're not safe," I said, as I began to run. I turned around to see the figure still there and a confused Angie.

"W-What do you mean?" Angie asked, very confused.

As we reached the stairs, we couldn't keep moving. A barrier seemed to block us in. The world past it looked black and white, as if time had stopped where we were. I turned and moved Angie behind me, hiding behind a car. I looked at the purple figure as it moved slowly, hunting for us, it seemed.

"Another league champion... A more... Violent one... I think," I said, looking around. "We need Riven."

"How would she know? We're pretty far away," Angie said, worriedly.

The champion, Kha'Zix, jumped on top of the car we were on and I pushed Angie away before rolling away as he clawed towards us. He stared up at us with a malicious grin. I grabbed her arm again as I stared forward.

"Stay with me, he thrives against isolated targets," I said, as she nodded, slowly. "Don't be scared, we'll be alright."

As the Voidreaver went to leap towards us, he struggled to move. Behind him was Riven; she quickly climbed on top of the car and kicked the creature off. She came to us and helped Angie up.

"This is the same feeling as last night, except stronger. Are you guys alright?" Riven asked, as she looked at us. We both nodded. She turned towards the recovering assassin as she swung her arm. Her sword appeared as if from nowhere, at it's full power. "This won't go unpunished."

"We are not allowed to fight unnecessarily. It is against the rules we champions abide by, why are you attacking these people?" Riven asked, holding her blade forward. Seemed the few days she was here didn't affect her swordsmanship at all. The other champions shot it's Void Spikes at the Exile who quickly sidestepped the attack. "I won't let you hurt them, back off now."

The champion made no attempts to speak instead leaping forward and clawing at Riven, who raised her sword and let out a wave of energy, stunning the creature. She began swinging at the Voidreaver, who merely clawed back, causing Riven to stagger whenever he struck.

"Angie, hide, don't move," I whispered, as I ran towards Riven. She looked at me with a serious face but, before she spoke, I spoke. "Just focus on the fight, I'm here so you're not alone. I'm a summoner, right?"

"Thank you, Riley," Riven said, seeing my reasoning. Inside, I was on the brink of terror but needed to keep Riven safe. As long as we finished this quickly, Angie would also be safe.

Riven moved back as Kha'Zix vanished from our sight. She scanned the area as I remained behind her, looking the other way. I saw something move behind another car as I alerted Riven. She continued to scan the area as we both knew that ability had two charges. Riven looked a bit impatient; her own ultimate was on a timer. In front of me,I saw Kha'Zix leap towards me, I grabbed Riven's arm and pulled her to the side.

"Now!" I yelled, as Riven swung her blade twice quickly, then stunned the void creature before knocking it up with her swift, last swing of the blade. Once the creature could react again, Riven dashed backward and swung her blade, letting out a deafening wind and a sharp yell, as Kha'Zix fell to the ground, unable to move. Riven panted as her sword seemed to vanish, making her face a bit sad. A swirling circle engulfed Kha'Zix, a sight similar to the recall spell.

"I'm... More confused than I have ever been," I said, as Riven turned to me.

"Are you alright?" Riven asked, as I nodded, she turned back to the Voidreaver as it vanished. She shook her head. "Seems I'm not the only one who was brought to this world, Riley."

"Why was he so hostile?" I asked her.

"In the fields of justice, we are forced to obey a summoner. Freely, a champion behaves how they please. Kha'Zix just saw you two as easy prey, we'll have to be careful," Riven said, as Angie slowly walked towards us.

"Thank you Riven," Angie said, shakily. She turned to me. "What was that thing?"

"Another champion from Riven's world. Guess she's not alone," I said. After a few seconds, Angie smacked my arm. "What?"

"Why'd you run out like that, you idiot!" Angie said, angrily. "You could've gotten yourself killed if Riven hadn't reacted so fast..."

"I was the one who reacted. Trust me, if Riven was alone, she would've been way more hurt there. I've played that game enough to know what to do against most other champions," I said, grabbing her arm to stop her from hitting me again. I looked at Riven. "How are Nicole and Jamie?"

"They're alright. I told them I also left something behind," Riven said, as I sighed in relief.

"We should head back then. If you felt that last night, there must be another champion near where we live," I thought. I shook my head quickly. "How did you get here so fast?"

"I... I don't really know. I remember leaving the restaurant and then I ran and appeared behind Kha'Zix. You must have the ability to summon me to you when you're in danger," Riven suggested, crossing her arms. "It seems far fetched but it's the best guess I have right now."

"Well... We're fine for now. Let's... Just go eat," I sighed, shaking my head. "I'm too tired to deal with any more magic or whatever is happening to me. I love my days off."

* * *

After eating, we found ourselves back at the main plaza. It was still drizzling very lightly to the point it didn't even bother anyone anymore. I got everyone ice cream while I got myself a caramel shake I loved from that particular store. We sat on the fountains as they spouted water and stared at the changing lights around the edges. I handed Nicole some change as she began making wishes; which made my demon sister seem adorable again.

I sat in between Riven and Angie. Both had remained fairly silent since we headed back to the restaurant. Riven was normally like that but I had a fairly good idea of why Angie was uncharacteristically silent. I began to think about random things; I remembered my senior year high school English teacher's band played here, then I remembered his son's breathing problems when he was born, and began to think I should visit. I snapped back to reality when Nicole pulled my arm, everyone was standing and a small crowd was gathering.

"C'mon, the band is about to start playing," she said, as I stood up.

Jamie and Nicole insisted we head to the second floor and none of us opposed it. The two girls climbed up on the small wooden bench and stared forward, leaning on the railing. Riven stood to their left and, as I moved to follow, I felt my arm be pulled.

"Is that a no then?" Angie asked, pulling me away from the group of people. Prime targets for Kha'Zix; we seemed alone in another world.

"I don't know how to be a good boyfriend," I sighed, avoiding eye contact. "I'm gonna say something wrong and I'm going to ruin everything for us and them."

The band began to play. I always seemed to come here where a funky band played, which I loved hearing. The bassist always caught my attention despite not being as flashy as a guitarist.

"You nearly killed yourself for Riven and I... I'm willing to risk that then," Angie said, with a small smile. I stared forward at the line of people leaning on the edge. "I don't think I could hate you... And especially your sister."

"Aren't I gay though?" I said, smirking. She huffed and pushed me against the wall. She quickly wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. Time seemed to stop in a timeless planet. She moved away slowly.

"That wasn't a gay man kissing me," she sang, with a grin.

"What was with bag though? What did you forget?" I asked, as she shook her head with a smirk. I shrugged. "Girl things?"

"Let's just say," Angie began, leaning against the wall beside me. "I'm not pregnant."

I shook my head with a smile as Angie didn't seem to change her blunt personality. Riven turned back with a smile. She was enjoying herself... The least she deserved after saving our lives.

I mouthed something but she turned around before she saw. I figured it wasn't important; I had plenty of time to thank Riven.


	10. Angry Yordles and Iced Coffee

**Here is chapter 10. It's kinda annoying to have to transfer the files around to have to post, why did the laptop have to die? I don't like people seeing me write so it's hard to have alone time while I'm motivated. Anyways, enjoy this!**

**Also to any Veracity fans that might've wandered over here, I've been thinking of a sequel. Thoughs?**

**LCS is on and I work in two hours, buh bye people.**

**Edit: I literally just went to post this chapter and noticed this story has 4.3k views! Seriously? You people are the best! Thank you so much! :D**

* * *

"These weapons seem so ineffective. They're too heavy if the person is swinging is so awkwardly," Riven said, as she held the black Xbox 360 controller in her hands. I leaned back on my chair as I watched her play Skyrim, a game I figured she'd enjoy trying.

"Yeah but they do a lot of damage. That's how games like these usually work. The slower you are, the stronger you are," I explained as she stared at the screen with confusion.

"That doesn't make sense. It all depends on the person," Riven said, as she chased a deer into the woods.

"Don't take it too seriously, it's just a fun game with a good story," I said, as I went back on the computer. _'I don't think I can handle the Dragonborn appearing randomly either...'_

"Are you going out with Angie today?" Riven asked, continuing to walk around aimlessly.

"Maybe. I'm not sure yet. I'm worried if we run into another champion, we could be in trouble," I said, honestly. As I did daily, I checked any news about League, no one still knew anything.

"You'll be fine alone. If anything, you're still my summoner. I can fight any champion, I'm confident in my abilities," Riven said. I was too, Riven was a powerful champion individually. I couldn't think of too many champions that could beat her alone.

"I'm still not sure, she hasn't said anything. I can't believe this past week, it's crazy," I said, sighing. "I have a League champion working and living with me, a girlfriend, and apparently... summoning magic."

"There's a good chance you could encounter a docile champion. Maybe a champion needs help returning to Valoran," Riven said. In the game, she was now being stopped by a guard by accidentally pressing A and stealing an item from a store. "Does this button just get you in trouble?"

"How can we be sure we even sent Kha'Zix back?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"I'm positive. I'm not allowed to mortally wound a champion; I held back, as I would if I was on the fields of justice. Plus, there's no hiding it, the magic that engulfed him was a recall spell, voluntarily or not," Riven said, leaning forward slightly.

"Alright. So it's possible there's other people like me then?" I asked, not sure if either of us had the answer. "Maybe my friends... Maybe they're hiding it from me?"

"Possibly. You should ask them," Riven said, as I heard a roar from the TV. She encountered a dragon as she walked. "These things are very inconvenient."

I smiled and quickly pushed myself up. I headed out of the room and into the small kitchen, grabbing two plastic cups, and opened the fridge, instantly grabbing the bottle of Pepsi in there. I poured the soda into the glasses as Nicole walked out of her room, yawning, in her pyjamas.

"What are you doing here? No school today?" I asked, as she happily shook her head.

"Nope. Both my classes today already did our finals so there was no point to go today and Mom let me stay," she said, making a grab for the second cup I had, which I raised. She made an agitated face at me. "I'm starting to get sick too. Stupid rain."

"The fun is worth a little cold, right?" I said, handing her the drink. I walked back to the cabinet and grabbed another. "I'll be nice today. You know how I feel about my Pepsi."

"It's the same thing as Coke, gosh, how are you the mature one?" Nicole began, sitting on a chair from the dining table. She grinned. "So... You and Angie."

"Yep. That's a thing," I said, shrugging slightly.

"You don't seem too excited. Jamie told me she wouldn't shut up about it," Nicole said, looking at me, angrily.

"What's the big deal? I've had girlfriends before and I'm still the same. Besides, this is a new thing. Did you have something to do with this?" I asked, sitting on the chair beside her.

"What do you mean?" Nicole asked, taking a sip. "I mean, I've told her stuff about you but you guys met a few days ago. You're the ones that jumped on it."

"If you say so, that's a weird way of putting it," I said, standing up. "Ask Jamie if she knows what Angie wants for Christmas for me. Also, she more or less jumped on me."

"That's a bit more than I want to know," Nicole said, with a shake of her head, followed by a smirk. "Alright, alright. I hope my first boyfriend is a bit less sarcastic then you. I'll see what I can do."

"Well, you'll find out when you're fourty," I said. My father and I always tell her she's not allowed to date until she's married. "Anyway, I'll be in the room if you need anything."

I went back to the room and placed the cups on the end table beside the bed. Riven stared at the television intently as she read some book she had found; my tv wasn't the greatest so some of the already hard to read words were even harder to read. I sat back on my chair and checked my phone. As if Angie had heard our conversation, she left me a text asking if I could go pick her up from school. I replied and stared at the fish tank.

"Liking it?" I asked, moving besides Riven. She nodded.

"Is this what the League is for you?" Riven asked, turning to me slightly.

"It's a different style of game. A strategy game even though barely anyone knows what to do most of the time," I said, sighing slightly. I wasn't too confident going into season five ranked. Any friend I had considerable synergy with had vanished and I wasn't content with anyone enough to duo with them. "Angie needs me to go get her later from school, wanna come?"

"Seems like something you should do alone, summoner," Riven said, shaking her head with a smirk. She turned back to the game. "Besides, I am very busy today."

"I don't think people here consider video games to be very productive," I said, laughing.

"What about those videos you showed me? Those were a lot of people," Riven asked, referring to the videos of the season 4 world championships.

"Ok fine, but I don't think I'll ever get there so as far as my family is considered, we're just killing time," I said, laying back on the bed.

"Anything is possible Riley, I'm sure you could," Riven said, turning her head to me. I shrugged slightly.

"Nah, I'm too old. If I had started playing when it was released, maybe I could've, who knows," I said, sitting back up. "It's fine, I heard pro gaming is stressful, stress isn't my thing."

"To each his own," Riven said, turning back to Skyrim. "I have no idea where I'm going."

_'With all the time she spent reading, I should've put Morrowind in instead...'_

* * *

Just like the previous day, I found myself waiting for Angie at her school. I saw her, which wasn't hard, talking with some guy until she noticed me and quickly headed towards me. For the first time when she rushed the car, I unlocked the door before she had to knock on the window and glare at me.

"Are just never going to drive again now?" I asked, as she sat with her bag on her lap.

"Well, sorry for thinking my new boyfriend would want to spend time with me," she began, glaring at me with a small smile. "I just rode with my mom. Wanted to see you."

"And if I had been busy?" I asked, starting to drive.

"I could've walked or just gone to the library or something," she said. "Is someone jealous?"

"What? No. If you cheated on me the day after saying you liked me, I'd be pretty pissed though," I said, yawning. "Why am I awake so early, it's my day off."

"Being my boyfriend is a full time job, Riley. I expect nothing less than to be treated like a queen," Angie said, crossing her arms and giving me a glare. She couldn't hold her composure and began laughing. "How's Riven doing today, where is she?"

"She stayed home playing an Xbox game. I buy enough cereal to live for weeks so she should be alright," I said. I stopped at a light. "Where are we going?"

"Your house? Can we? I'll be bored to tears at my place," she asked. "That or you can take me back and I can hang out with Blake at his place."

"Well, tell me now because I'll make a u-turn," I said, sarcastically. She stared at me and I grinned. "I'm still going to be sarcastic."

"That's fine, that's fine. I'll deal with it," she said, smiling. She stared forward. "Buy me an iced coffee?"

"You sure? Blake can get you one if you want to be with him," I said, as she turned to me.

"As much as I'd like to be seen with a muscular guy in a Mustang, I supposed you'll have to do," She said. Normally, that would've been crossing the line a bit but she continued speaking. "I can't convert all the gay guys in the world, however. His boyfriend would shoot me if I tried to break them up."

"Whatever... Mustangs are overrated anyway," I said, laughing. I guess she was cute... sometimes.

* * *

Once again I found myself frozen in time. I was starting to feel like I was in a visual novel, or something. Once I had a choice, time seemed to stop and I had a few to choose from. Was Angie just one of the girls I had to choose from? VN's usually have... those scenes, right? Riley, shut up, you've known this girl for four days, probably. I snapped out of my trance.

_'I'm a twenty one year old man and I'm finally going to show proof to my mom that I'm not gay after years of mental abuse, why am I hesitating?'_

"Did you lose your keys or something?" Angie asked; I'm taking too long. I turned the knob.

"Nah just had a random thought," I said, opening the door.

Angie followed me into the living room area, where my mom was at her usual post of the dinner table on her laptop, playing games on Facebook. She stared at her like she had never seen another human before. I walked towards them and prepared myself. As my mom opened her mouth to speak, Angie cut her short.

"I thought Riley was gay too!" Angie said, as my mother stared at her with wide eyes. My own eyes twitched. My mom smiled and turned towards me.

"I don't care if you would've been gay or not. Is this another girl needing to move in? I'm not sure if we ca-" she began before I cut her off.

"No, it's nothing like that. She's my girlfriend," I said. Saying that felt weird. "She's Jamie's big sister."

"So your little sister got you a girlfriend?" My mom jokingly said, standing up. "Nice to meet you, if you want to stay for dinner, you are more than welcome to."

My mother only knew how to speak English pretty formally. Angie smiled and nodded as I turned when I heard a door open. Riven stared at me from the door, holding a blue bowl.

"Hey Riven!" Angie said, loudly. Riven walked over to us, holding the bowl with both hands and close to her body. She placed the bowl on the counter near the sink and stared at Angie.

"Hello Angie," Riven said, moving back towards us.

"I told her you'd be upset if that bowl broke so she held it like a baby," my mom said before sitting back down. "I'll let you guys hang out. Treat my son good, he's a nice guy."

"Oh I know. I will, nice meeting you ma'am," Angie said, as I led the girls into my room. Angie immediately headed towards the large fish tank as Riven and I sat on the bed, where Riven grabbed the black controller again.

"This game is better. They give you clear directions," Riven said, as she unpaused Morrowind. I told her about the compass in Skyrim but all the icons confused her. It didn't matter; she was having fun.

"I didn't think you'd be into fish since you hated the ocean... These are South American cichlids right?" Angie asked, turning towards me. I nodded.

"Yep, they're my idiots. You think that but no, I love most fish. Not eating fish but pets, I just watch them while I'm on her computer," I said. "I got the tank and filter really cheap but they're still costing me a fortune. The little white one was always getting bullied so I had to get more hiding spots and a heater. Still, they're pets and they're my responsibility."

"I get that. Especially people with saltwater fish, those are such an investment but they're so pretty," Angie said, sitting on my computer chair. "So, I've been thinking about what happened yesterday; about that thing that attacked us."

"What about it?" I asked, as Riven turned to us, pausing the game again.

"That was a Champion, right? Like Riven?" she began, I nodded. She continued. "Maybe Riven appeared to you for a reason. You have to re-send them all to Valoran."

"Riven thought about that. It's possible other champions were sent here and Riven defeating Kha'Zix definitely returned him to Valoran," I said, rubbing my forehead. "This all sounds like a plot to an anime or something."

"Yep, and you're the main character, Riley," Angie said, laughing.

"What did you have in mind, Angie?" Riven asked, curiously. "I'd rather be a character no one hears about much."

"We find them first. The sooner we return them, the sooner Riven can go back," Angie said. She put her hands together. "Easy as that."

"We know how to send other champions back. I can't send Riven back," I said, sighing. "I don't know, what do you think?"

"I'll follow your lead, Riley. If you want to send the others back, I am confident in my abilities," Riven said, looking at me seriously. "Perhaps they could have clues as to how they got here?"

"Maybe. We can go outside after dinner and see if you can find what you felt Sunday night," I said, laying on the bed. I closed my eyes. "I'm taking a nap."

"Alright, I'm convince you're into guys," Angie said, with a defeated sigh. "Two girls are in your room and you'd rather sleep."

"Yeah, too much work," I said, turning on my side. Angie pushed me; I wasn't about to get any rest.

* * *

I yawned as we walked towards the parking lot outside of our building. Dinner had be fairly calm and not what I had expected at all; It was the first time Riven sat in the table, which had another extra seat with Angie. She mostly talked with my mother about how adorable Nicole was while the rest of us ate quietly. The cold wind blew harshly as we walked. I stared at Riven, who remained unfazed by the wind despite wearing her original outfit. Angie grabbed my arm as we walked behind Riven.

"How does it get this cold and not snow?" Angie said, quietly. I saw her breath; she was still wearing shorts. I gave her a jacket but I didn't think any of my pants would fit her and while she was small, she wasn't Nicole small.

"Anyone up north would call this weather summer," I said. I spoke up. "Anything yet Riven?"

"Nothing." Riven said, as we headed towards the small canal behind my neighborhood. I always walked cautiously here since there were occasional alligators just walking near the edge of the canal but with this weather, I doubt we'd be seeing any cold blooded reptiles anytime soon... unless we were running into Renekton or something.

We continued walking until we saw a tree on the ground. I stepped forward and stared at it. It was knock down, the edges were ragged and uneven, and the tree itself had scratches all throughout it. It didn't seem cut by a chainsaw.

"Weird. Was the storm that bad yesterday?" I said to myself. Riven grabbed my shoulder. Her broken blade was in her free hand.

"Protect Angie, something is here," Riven said, as she pushed me into Angie, gently. I grabbed Angie as Riven and I looked around.

"What is it?" Angie asked, looking up at me. I shook my head.

"Not sure, I'll know what to do when I know what we're against," I said.

I scanned the area thoroughly for a while until I heard a few noises nearby. I alerted Riven as she turned her body towards the fallen tree. A weird object flew towards Riven, who quickly moved aside. The thing went back like a boomerang.

"A boomerang..." I said quietly. I got louder. "Riven, it's Gnar!"

The orange yordle stepped out of the shadows. He was still mini Gnar. I knew the basics; stay away from big Gnar, don't get kited by mini Gnar. Riven extended her arm up to her blade as it magically reforged itself with energy. It's green glow lit up the dark area as Gnar stepped forward slowly.

"I'll send you back to where we belong Gnar. Willingly or not," Riven said, pointing her sword forward. Gnar's head tilted. He seemed confused and merely babbled something none of us understood. "Home. You're going home."

Gnar babbled something else with an angrier tone as Riven began to run towards him. He skipped back and tossed the boomerang again, hitting Riven's stomach and slowing her assault. Once she reached him, she swung her blade twice before raising it above her head and stunning the yordle. After she swung her sword, the yordle hopped on her head and clean over her before she could use her last slash. His fur began to change color as his voice deepened.

"Riven, careful," I said, standing up. "Angie, don't move from here."

"B-Be careful!..." Angie said, as I let go of her arm and walked towards Riven slowly.

Gnar moved in a circle around her as she held her sword towards him. Riven stared at him intently. Without his range, Gnar would still be a pain unless she dodged his abilities in time. I ran forward a good distance away from Riven and grabbed a nearby stone.

"Riven, I'll distract him. Dodge the best you can then strike when you can," I said, stepping forward. Riven nodded.

"No fear, Riley. We can do this together," Riven said, as she ran forward.

Gnar leaped up and transformed into Mega Gnar, shaking the ground slightly as he landed. He tossed a small boulder, which hit Riven. She remained near it, knowing he would come for it. As she swung her sword and body forward, Gnar stood on his hind legs and began to fall, Riven dodged to the side. I ran forward and tossed the small rock, hitting his immense face. He staggered a bit as Riven stunned the creature with her usual burst of energy before continuing her Broken Wings combo. Gnar shook his head fiercely and I moved quickly, pushing Riven behind me as Gnar swung his massive arms, throwing me against the chain-link fence, which softened the blow slightly.

Wasting no time, Riven ran back forward and blocked the next incoming boulder with her Valor dash. She focused her self and swung her sword one last time against the creature before slicing horizontally in front of her, using her Wind Slash. Gnar quickly returned to his mini form and laid on the ground, making faint noises. Riven quickly moved towards me and picked me up.

"Are you alright?" Riven asked, as I nodded.

"Yeah, fine," I lied, wondering how many ribs I had left. I stared back at the fence; if I had hit the poles instead of the chain-link, I could've died. I quickly shook my head as Angie walked over me and slapped me, quickly but weakly.

"Stop being a hero!... You could've gotten hurt," Angie said, quietly.

"It's safer for Riven if she's not being focused. I'm fine Angie," I said, feigning a smirk. I doubt anything was broken but my body was sore as hell. I looked over at Gnar, who was beginning to fade into the small, blue circle. "Two down... A hundred something to go?"

"It would appear so. Angie is right however. I can handle this myself Riley, you shouldn't endanger yourself," Riven said, crossing her arms.

"I'm fine. As long as you two are okay," I said, beginning to walk.

"Don't think I'm ungrateful Riley. I wouldn't be here without you. I'll protect you as well," Riven said, as her and Angie walked towards me.

"Fair enough."

* * *

After returning from taking Angie home, I fell on the bed immediately. Riven had already been sitting there for a while, staring at the Xbox main menu for however long before I got there. She turned her head towards me; her white hair was faintly visible in the dark.

"You're in pain, aren't you?" Riven asked, leaning over me.

"My body is a bit sore. Who knew a tiny yordle would be so strong," I said, turning onto my back. Riven stared at me from above. "Work'll be fun tomorrow. Standing upright for seven hours, I can't wait."

"Will you be okay? Can't you take the day off?" Riven asked. I shook my head.

"I don't need to. I'll be alright, Riven, don't worry," I said, closing my eyes.

"I think I need to when Angie or your mother aren't around. You're reckless sometimes," Riven said, laying alongside me.

"You wanna see reckless? Break that blue bowl then," I said, as Riven giggled quietly.

"Goodnight, Summoner."


	11. Please Let Me Live

**Chapter 11, here in record time!**

**I've been enjoying writing this more lately. The only annoying part is uploading. Have to sent it to myself in an email from the iPad, then put onto Google Docs, then download and upload here but at least it works!**

**Anyway, enjoy this while I go slave away at work in three hours!**

* * *

"How are you?" Riven asked, as my head was implanted in the steering wheel.

"Sometimes five o' clock is horrible. Half of the people who work here don't know what being here on time is," I said, slightly irritated. "I always get called in to come early but people show up half an hour late and no one will even look at the phone. Sorry, I'm just tired."

"That's alright. Is there anything I can do to help?" Riven asked, as I began taking us home.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I get easily irritated six hours into work," I said, sighing. "Nothing we can do about the people that we deal with."

"Is it really that bad?" Riven asked me. I shook my head.

"No but even my patience has it's limits. If 200 people try it, I won't be very happy," I said. I put on a smile. "It wouldn't be hard to find another job but they're like another family now."

"Family is good for a person's mental well being," Riven said, nodding. "Everyone around you seems to care about you."

"That includes you?" I asked, as we entered the neighborhood. She nodded.

"Of course, why wouldn't it?" Riven asked. I shrugged slightly.

"No reason. I wonder..." I began as we parked. "Never mind, let's go inside, I need to feed the fish."

"Alright, if you need to tell me anything, you can," Riven said, stunning me again.

After twenty one years of being a male, I've learned a few things. I hoped this isn't some kind of test but then again, Riven didn't seem too enigmatic... At least in this universe. As we headed around the corner from the parking spaces to the stairs to the second floor, I untied the black apron as stared at the person who stood before me.

"Finally, I thought you got out at five?" Angie said, placing her hands on her hips. I sighed.

"I never get out on time. I can't leave until a replacement gets there," I said before shaking my head. "What are you doing here?"

"It's time for another milestone on our journey of romance!" Angie said, grinning with her arms now crossed. I stared at her blankly and turned my head to Riven, who was staring off into the distance. There was a small playground in the center of the neighborhood that you could see from where we were. A few kids were there, enjoying the last rays of sunlight; the simpler times, I doubt they were ever as confused as I was right now.

"Uhm... What?" I finally said, as she sighed.

"You're hopeless, Riley. My parents want you to come to dinner with us. They have to interview you to see if your worthy of me," Angie said. I doubt those were her parents exact words but I nodded.

"Alright, when?" I asked. "How'd you get here anyway?"

"Go get ready. They want us there at seven," Angie said, grabbing Riven and I's hands. Riven snapped out of her trance as Angie pulled us up the stairs. "Plus, I can drive too."

"Wait, you're driving?" I asked. She nodded. "Like, you're driving me somewhere?"

"Yep," Angie said, letting us go.

"I've lived a good life," I said, as she pushed me towards the door.

"I'm going to kill you before my driving does if you keep that attitude up," Angie said. She turned to Riven. "Feel free to hit him when he acts up."

"No problem," Riven said, with a smirk as I opened the door while being stared at by the two devil's on my shoulders.

* * *

Despite my sarcasm and monotonous voice, I liked to be respectful and look presentable at times like this. I stared at myself in the mirror; I shaved that morning, my hair would do its own thing when it dried, and my shirt was fairly un-wrinkled. I grabbed my usual, nice look button down checkered shirt and put a pair of work pants I had around.

_'This is fine,'_ I thought to myself; first impressions were huge for me. I grabbed my phone from the counter and saw the time, it was only 5:45. I walked outside and headed into my room again. Angie was nowhere to be seen and Riven was back to her usual spot, holding the black controller.

"Is this one fun?" Riven asked, holding up the Modern Warfare 2 box. I nodded and rummaged through the small drawer of games I had and handed her Call of Duty 4.

"The story is really good but it's a trilogy. Play this one first," I said, as she grabbed it and nodded. "Where's Angie?"

"She went outside and said to go when you're ready," Riven said, putting the disc in the system. She turned to me. "Will you be alright by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I began, grabbing my usual stuff I carried. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Angie kills you before a champion does anything?" Riven asked. She smiled. "Have fun then, I will guard your blue bowl."

I thanked Riven and quickly headed out before anyone decided to question where I was going. When I headed down the stairs, I figured my mom would've known at least, as Angie stood waiting for me, in a dress. My eyes couldn't break away; I felt like a bad boyfriend and thought saying she didn't seem like a dress type would've gotten her mad. It didn't stop her, however.

"You've worn nothing but black t-shirts, I never thought I'd see you dressed nicely," she said, as I stood by her.

"Well, I should dress nicely for your parents, right?" I began. "A good boyfriend doesn't need the parents to hate him."

"That's right, be a good boy for my parents and don't embarrass me," Angie said, walking to the driver side of the car she stood in front of. "Get in, I don't want to be late."

* * *

Finding out Angie was just as anxious when it came to getting places early was pretty relieving. We sat in her car, parked in the parking lot of an Olive Garden, with five minutes till 6:30.

"Crap, I forgot to get gas," she whined, as she exited the car. "I've gotten so used to you driving I forgot I was low in the first place."

"I'll pay for that since I don't really feel like pushing a car tonight," I said, half jokingly.

"How much does Wendy's pay you? You pay for everything," she asked, as we walked towards the restaurant.

"Not much, but what's the point of money if I can do good with it?" I said, shrugging. "I'm not gonna tell you all of my beliefs in one day but I don't like to let money take over me. I pay what I need and the rest is for friends and family."

"I agree with that. I'll start planning our Michigan vacation then!" Angie said, excitedly. She grabbed my arm. "At least pretend you like me."

"Why Michigan," I asked, curiously.

"I dunno. I have some family there," she said, as we entered the place. "Any other place in mind?

"Virginia. I have an online friend I wouldn't mind meeting there," I said, as she walked up to the person.

"I think my parents are already here," she said, to the girl our age. "Party of four under the name Taylor."

"Yes, they got here just a few minutes ago, follow me," she said, after scanning the papers in front of her.

_'Even her parents are here early, wow,' I thought, as we followed the girl._

"You drive slow, we're late," I said, jokingly. She hit me playfully.

"We live closer so they probably left at the same time we did," Angie said, as she stopped alongside the girl. She moved aside and left, leaving two more menus on the table. I recognized her mother and finally got to see her father, who looked intimidating in his own way. I sat across from him in the booth for four as he extended his hand.

"Hello Riley, it's a pleasure to meet you," the man said, as I shook his hand and sat down. The woman beside him waved at me. "Both my daughters say good things about you."

"I hope so," I said unsure of what to say. This felt as awkward as coordinating a tower dive without voice communication. "I wasn't expecting this tonight, thank you for inviting me."

"You're welcome, Angie insisted today was a good day to invite you. It seemed sudden but as good a time as any," her mother said, as my eyes wandered to the breadsticks. Breadsticks were like my cocaine, especially from here.

"It's not like he does much else," Angie said, turning her head towards me.

"As long as I'm sitting, I'd go anywhere after standing for seven hours," I said, looking around. The place didn't seem too busy, probably because it was a Wednesday night.

"Angie tells me you work at Wendy's? How is that?" Her father asked, leaning forward slightly.

"It's fine, unnecessarily stressful at times but I stay for the managers, they're good people. I'm glad I didn't stay late today then, we probably would've been way more late," I said, ignoring eye contact, instead focusing on the window behind Angie's parents.

"That's a respectable trait. Dependability is important in any job," the man said, smiling. "Sounds like I found someone to help me paint the living room this weekend."

"Yeah! Riley'll do it," Angie said, grinning. I stared at her.

"Uhhh, if it's Saturday morning, I can. I work at night and then Sunday morning," I said, as the waitress returned.

* * *

After being volunteered for painting a room, the dinner seemed to go peacefully. I found out her father was a firefighter, which explained his intimidating aura. They spoke about Angie getting her Associate's Degree in half a year and Nicole and Jamie going into high school before we began speaking about my own family.

I told them that we were simple. My father a mechanic and my mother worked with my aunt cleaning rooms at various hotels and offices, I babysat Nicole while my mom slept while I was in high school and told them about my legal status. Neither seemed concerned about that, to my relief, as Angie turned to me.

"You're doing good, keep up the act," she whispered, as I glared at her.

"None of this is an act," I said, as her mother excused herself, and Angie stood up to go with her. She smirked and whispered something I didn't hear. It seemed like she mouthed... Good luck?

Her father remained quiet, taking another bite from his steak. I stared at my pasta awkwardly. He cleared his throat as I reached for my fork, immediately making me drop it.

"Riley, I know my daughter is... Eccentric. My wife tells me you've met very recently," he began. His hand was rested by a knife; oh my lord, I am going to die. A protective firefighter is going to kill me because of a weird girl who helped me shop for panties. "Something about shopping for underwear and another girl."

"P-Let me explain that," I began, stuttering. "A friend of mine had to leave her home very suddenly so she had nothing. I got her a job with me, let her stay at our house, and bought her some basic clothing... Except underwear. I didn't wanna seem weird so I asked Nicole... Who sent Angie instead of her."

"I see, this other girl, she's just a friend?" He asked, leaning forward slightly. I nodded.

"I'm not going to lie, sir. I cheated on a girl when I was fourteen and what she said to me haunted me for ages. I was a pretty bad kid, attitude wise. I met some good people that made me value who friends were," I began, staring at the floor. "Riven is one of those friends. We share my room, Angie knows that. I'm just helping her get back to where she was."

"Do you always say that stuff to your girlfriend's parents?" He asked, a bit in shock, and with a small sigh. I shook my head.

"I haven't had a girlfriend in years. I don't like being lied to so I'd rather us start clean," I said, looking up at the man. "I won't hurt her."

"Well, don't get me wrong, the brutal honestly is... Strange but I don't doubt you'd act that way if you hadn't changed in a way," he said, crossing his arms. "I'll take your word, Riley. Don't make me regret that. Jessica is my first daughter and I would give her the world if I could."

'Jessica?' I thought, as I stared forward, with an intent to speak until I noticed something. In the parking lot, I saw a figure that resembled a champion. I stared for a few seconds until I realized... There were more than one. I stood up.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I need to make an urgent call, I'll be back!" I said, before taking off in a sprint. As I dashed through the restaurant, evading all the waiters and customers, they seemed to move slower as I reached the door.

When I opened the double doors, I saw Riven standing outside the door, holding her broken sword and staring out towards the parking lot. I leaned over to catch my breath.

"R-Ri... You felt it too?" I asked, standing upright again. She nodded.

"A pretty strong sensation. Are you alright? Where is Angie?" Riven asked. I tilted my head towards the restaurant.

"She's in there, let's go!" I said, as Riven nodded and sprinted alongside me.

We quickly made it towards the parking lot and ducked down by a car. I peeked over the side as Riven stood up and nodded.

"Stay here, I'll settle this," Riven said, walking forward.

As Riven moved forward, I followed behind her. As we got near the figures, I was right; there were three. Two stood together with one standing farther away. The two together stepped forward, causing the other one to step back. Were two champions attacking one? As we got closer, I finally recognized them. The isolated champion was Nami hole the two aggressors were Kalista and Annie. The green bind held them together.

"Nami! What's going on?" I asked, as Riven stood between the two groups and I moved towards the support. She stared at me in confusion and fear.

"W-what are you doing here? Riven?" Nami asked.

"It's complicated. This isn't your world. Riven showed up, I'm a summoner. Stay behind us, we can send them back to Valoran if we defeat them," I said, nodding. She stared at me, her emotions not changing. She surely didn't believe a word I said and I could see why. "Listen, just trust me. Riven can vouch for me, just hide."

"You two, stand down. We have no right to cause havoc in this world or against other champions," Riven said, pointing her sword forward. Neither champion said anything, instead Kalista threw a spear forward, and it bounced of Riven's now turned sword. Riven took her usual fighting stance as her blade reforged itself. "Your mistake."

Riven ran forward towards the dark woman, as Annie stepped in front of her, with a swirling energy around her. She extended her hands forward, and Riven dashed forward, dodging the cone of fire and the damage from Kalista's attacks. Riven had the image of a spear through her chest as she began slashing forward. After two forward swings, she stunned the carry before using her last slash, knocking her back. As she prepped her blade for her Wind Slash, Annie crashed onto her before summoning her bear and stunning the Exile. I quickly took off my button up shirt.

_'I can't fight against Kalista but...'_

"Riven, focus on Kalista," I said, running forward. I grabbed Annie, holding her arms against her body. She kicked and tried to break free, casting her Molten Shield ability. It was intensely hot but I could handle it. I felt a wave of pleasant energy hit me. Riven had three orbs circling her; Nami!

"Riven, stun her if you can," Nami said, floating behind Riven as she nodded. As I stare at the giant flaming bear in front of me, Riven lunged forward with her shield, as Kalista contracted her arm and the spears disappeared from Riven. She stunned the carry as Nami immediately threw an Aqua Prison behind her, as she hopped straight into it. Riven swung her sword, as the trapped woman fell onto the ground. I cringed as the massive bear swung his arm at me before vanishing before I got hurt.

"Wha... Where am I?" Annie said, as she looked around. She stared up at me. "Hi mister."

"Hello... Annie," I said, letting her go and leaning against the car I was near, Riven and Nami walked towards me. My shirt was singed in various spots as Riven stepped up to me.

"Thank you, Riley," She said, as she kneeled down towards Annie. "Kalista was controlling you, you're unharmed?"

"I'm okay. Where are we?" Annie asked, looking around.

"A different... World, it seems," Nami said, looking around as well. Time had halted, like it always did when we got into these battles. Kalista had vanished by now and I grabbed my shirt.

"Riley is able to send us back. You two should return now," Riven said, nodding. I shrugged.

"How? We only sent champions back by defeating them," I said, as Nami moved towards me. She moved around me.

"You are indeed a summoner. I knew I'd recognized you," Nami said, happily. I had summoned Nami more often than Riven so that wasn't too shocking. Annie probably didn't pay too much attention but she wasn't trying to set me on fire, which I took as a win. "Just focus on sending us back, being a summoner is forming a mental link with a champion."

"This isn't gonna hurt, is it?" Annie asked, in a whiny voice. Nami shook her head.

"It won't, Annie. It'll be just like how it is in Valoran," Nami said, soothingly. Riven turned to me.

"It's as good a shot as anything, try it," she suggested. I nodded and closed my eyes. I focused on sending the two home, I added some thoughts of how they would be homesick. I opened my eyes and extending my hand outward. Three circles formed under the three champions as they began to be up engulfed in light. I stared at Riven, who remained silent. I grabbed arm and quickly pulled her towards me.

"Riven! Y-I need you to stay..." I said, as she stared at me in a daze. Behind her, the two champions, along with the now empty circle, vanished. We stood alone in the parking lot, time resumed again as I saw people moving inside the restaurant.

"What happened? Did they get sent back?" Riven asked, looking around. "Good, that's two more."

"You almost got sent back too, don't you remember?" I asked, kneeling down as Riven sat. She shook her head. "Did you want to leave?"

"I can't. I need to stay with you for now. Thank you for stopping me," Riven said, quietly.

"I'm sorry Riven, you shouldn't need to do this," I said, standing up and putting my shirt back on. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"R-Riley!?"

"Angie... I swear this looks a million times worse than it is!"

* * *

After returning home, Riven entered the house and I remained behind, closing the door behind me. Angie stood there quietly as I sat on the steps to the third floor. I laughed.

"That looked horrible, right?" I said, as she nodded and sat besides me. "Sorry I ruined the evening, three champions were outside and I had to stop them."

"I understand, I told my dad you forgot you had a call to make. You weren't gone too long, so it was alright," she said, laughing. "If you hadn't had a burned shirt to prove it, you'd be dead right now."

"I'm a good boyfriend, trust me," I said, as she nodded.

"My parents see that," she began, turning to me. "Are you alright?"

"Riven almost got sent back with the other two champions... I feel bad having to keep her here to help me..." I said, standing up. I extended my hand to help Angie up. "But I need her help."

"She knows that, don't feel bad, Riley," she said. "You two don't work tomorrow right?"

"No, we're free," I said, remembering something. She turned away as I spoke up. "Who's Jessica?"

"Ugh, he called me that?" She said, crossing her arms. "My name is Jessica. My middle name is Angelica. I like being called Angie."

"Alright, I finally know your whole name then," I said, walking towards the door. "Let me know what you wanna do then."

"It's only fair you tell me your middle name, freak," Angie said, as I smirked and opened the door.

"Nope, goodnight, Ms. Taylor."


	12. Melancholic Memories

**Here is chapter 12! **

**I've had this done for a few days but no time to upload it. I got promoted very suddenly to a manager at where I work so they've been making me work random hours and I've been destroying my sleep habits. I have to leave where I live for about a month or so which means I'll have loads of time to write but not too sure about a computer to upload. Anyway, enjoy this for now :**

* * *

"I'm glad this happened, much easier on a Sunday. Thank you again for coming, Riley, Riven," Angie's mother said, as I rolled the brush on the white wall, leaving a light blue trail behind.

"No problem. It's weird, they usually beg me to stay late Sundays but instead they don't need me," I said, as Riven mirrored what I did. Her big, white shirt had blue marks scattered throughout it. I gave her the long shirt to cover her usual white skirt since I only bought her pants.

We had, and I'm not counting out an Angie intervention, gotten our schedules changed to work a morning Thursday and take Sunday off. It was annoying to not have my Thursday off but it meant three days off in a row and free dinner with Angie's family. Angie was doing what she did best; managing the situation with her mother.

"Riley, stop dozing off. You're missing spots all over the place," Angie said, crossing her arms. I sighed.

"I haven't even started that side yet... Besides, Riven is following where I paint so she'll get whatever I miss," I said, looking at her over my shoulder. "Look at her side."

"Well, whatever, making Riven fix your mistakes like always," Angie said, huffing. "Remember you can hit him whenever."

"Be nice, Angie. He's here on his day off to help us," her mother said as she walked towards the kitchen.

"You better not think you're getting lucky or something by doing this, pervert," Angie said, in a quieter tone.

"Believe me, dating you makes me lucky enough," I said, feeling the heavy sarcasm come out from my mouth. I moved over to the corner of the wall I was painting, Riven followed.

"You infuriate me, Riley," Angie said, patting my head, making me flinch. "I think my dad's here with the pizza."

"Alright, lemme finish this side," I said, as she shuffled my hair and moved away.

"Oh, you can't eat until you finish, that's all the encouragement you should need," Angie said, heading outside as I sighed. I turned to Riven, who was hiding her small smirk.

"Having fun?" I asked, as Riven nodded.

"I've never had to do this. It's interesting. Are work hours usually this sporadic?" Riven asked. I shook my head.

"I'm guessing it's because of the holidays, it's almost Christmas," I said, grabbing my phone. It was the 21st, Christmas fell on a Thursday, which we had off anyway. Time went by quickly, I had to do some last minute shopping soon... Alone.

"Should I buy presents too?" Riven asked. A weird question to think about, no one ever asked me that.

"If you want, you don't have to. If you do, keep it a secret from who you want to give it to, it's supposed to be a surprise," I said, putting the roller down. "Alright, let's eat."

"Are we done?" She asked, standing up. I looked around; we were halfway done, it was safe to say.

"For now, we did what we had to," I said. Angie's dad was painting the top of the walls until he was sent to pick up the food so we were done for the most part. "Probably do a second coat after food unless he says otherwise."

"Alright," Riven said, standing next to me. I stared at her.

"Hey, thanks for coming. You didn't have to," I said, stretching my arms over my head. "If you wanna just relax at the house, you can. Don't let me drag you around with me if you don't want to come."

"It's no problem. Angie asked me to come as well. Did you want to be alone?" Riven asked, tilting her head. I shook my head.

"No, it's not that. I know I love being lazy during my days off," I said, yawning quickly. "We haven't seen any other champions in almost a week. You haven't felt anything, right?"

"I haven't. Do you want to go looking for them?" She asked, as I stared blankly forward.

"I... I'm not sure. I suppose we should, I don't want to keep you here if you don't have to be," I said, turning slowly back to her. "Not that I don't want you here, or something. You know what I mean, right?"

"Yes. I'm not a part of this world and neither are the other champions. There would be too many complications if our worlds collided for too long," Riven said. I nodded. "If I remember what happened before this, I'll surely remember all of this. These will be good memories I won't forget."

"Hey, food's here, let's go," I said, as Riven began to follow me.

_'... Good memories?...'  
_

* * *

I soon found myself behind the wheel of the car and near my neighborhood. I was at a red light, with Riven sitting beside me.

We finished the living room after we all ate. We spoke about random things and we got invited to whatever we wanted to do to celebrate Angie's AA degree in secrecy by her mother. Her father and I bonded over the third pizza he brought being meat lovers; only him and I ate that one. After the food. I went on mental auto pilot; I didn't remember anything until right now when I snapped out of my trance.

"Riley?" Riven's voice said. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just tired for some reason," I lied. The light turned green and I took off, quickly nearing our turn. "Want to go Christmas shopping tomorrow?"

"Isn't it supposed to be a secret?" Riven asked me. I nodded.

"We can go together. We'll just split up and meet somewhere after," I suggested.

"Sounds fun," Riven said, as we pulled into the parking spot. I smiled.

"Good, we'll leave early," I said.

* * *

It was crowded for a Monday morning... But then again, I wasn't nearly a good source for mall-related questions. I had given Riven my phone and told her to meet me at a small, easily seen playground for kids when the time read 1:00 p.m. We got there at 11:30 a.m but I couldn't stay sane shopping by myself for more than an hour. I found myself walking into a Gamestop with my headphones on.

One of the two cashiers greeted me and a man at the door asked if I needed anything. I waved and said that I was fine and just looking. Everything I saw that caught my attention for Riven, I found an alternative to. I walked in this store out of habit, I rarely went shopping by myself...or at all.

I bought a copy of Pokemon Alpha Sapphire, a game I asked my parents not to buy Nicole, and then I ended up walking around the main area of the mall, looking at different stores. I actually went into a few.

There was a small Japanese styled store where they sold anime stuff, traditional Japanese decorations and swords. I watched anime on occasion but some of my friends were borderline obsessed. I bought a set of five wristbands with the five roles in League in different colors and planned to give each to my regular group of friends I played with. I also bought a small Charmander plushie; there were some very high quality ones there about a foot high and ones about the size of a hand.

I looked at the set of bracelets with a bit of question. Which one was I gonna keep? There was no doubt among... Most of my friends that I was the best top laner but recently I had been loving the ADC role along one of my super aggressive support friends. The only clear role in our group was Greg, who usually fed unless he was jungle or a tank. He was the newest to League and usually played tanks in any game he played. In auto pilot mode, I ended up in the JCPenny's... I think. Some clothing store with two levels.

At the middle of the store on the ground floor, there were stands with jewelry. I looked around and ended up buying a silver necklace with a small heart for Angie; I'd never bought a girlfriend a present for Christmas before. I looked at my iPod. It was almost 12:30.

'Good thing we decided on one to meet. I can't do this for much longer,' I thought to myself. The lady behind the register spoke up.

"Anything else I can help you with?" She asked, as I took one last look around.

"No, I think I'm all set, thank you though," I said, staring down at the bag. I was at Macy's, oops.

"No problem, have a nice day," she said, as I grabbed the bags I had and put my hand through the holes.

As I headed back into the main area of the mall, I heard a few people talking about a person playing a weird instrument outside. I turned towards the doors to the outside and saw a small circle of people. They remained there for a bit before heading into the store; I headed towards the direction. As I moved through the crowd, the people seemed to freeze. When I stood in the center, I saw Riven standing with her arms crossed, holding two or three bags and Sona, the Maven of the Strings, sitting on a bench.

"Did you feel it too Riley?" Riven asked, turning towards me. Her sword was on its sheath, which appeared whenever the sword did. I shook my head.

"I overhead people saying things," I said, as I turned to Sona. She continued to play with her eyes closed. The music was beautiful. She eventually stopped and stared up at us.

'_'Is it time for me to return to Valoran, Riley?'_ Sona asked. I knew she spoked telepathically to her summoner but it was still weird... Someone else's voice in my thoughts.

"I suppose. I can send you back," I said out loud. She nodded and tapped the bench beside her. I moved and sat beside her. I wasn't surprised if she knew my name: either she heard it as Riven said it or recognized me from frequently summoning her last season.

_'I am ready to return. I am confused as to why I'm here, were others here?'_ Sona asked me. I nodded.

"A few have been here. Riven has been helping me send them back," I said, as she strummed her etwahl.

_'I see. You seem troubled,'_ she said, as I stared forward. How'd she know?

"Why do you think that?" I asked, as I stared at Riven. She remained still, looking around at the frozen crowd.

_'You haven't taken your eyes off her. Are you in love?'_ She asked. I shook my head.

"Not that. I feel weird that I'm keeping her here to help me but she insists it's alright. Also she said something that kinda... I don't know... Stunned me," I said, more quietly. I don't know why I felt the need to speak, Sona could hear my thoughts if I wanted her to.

_'What was that?'_ She asked me.

"She said that these will be good memories for her. I guess I don't want to be a memory. I've gotten pretty used to being with her. Does that make sense?" I said. Sona nodded slowly.

_'Yes, it does. You should speak with her about this, summoner,'_ Sona said to me.

"No. You guys need to be in Valoran and I need to be here. She doesn't need distractions," I said, standing up.

_'Friends aren't distractions. She cares about you; she would not remain here unwillingly. I can't say I know Riven too much but I promise you that. You two are connected, I am not sure what you would call it, however,'_ Sona said, slowly standing up. _'I'm ready to return. Consider my words Riley.'  
_  
"I will... Thanks," I said, as Sona grabbed my free hand with both of hers. I cleared my mind of any thoughts for a brief moment and focused on Sona returning home. I thought about asking what she meant but she said she had no idea.

A white light began to wrap around Sona. I turned my head towards Riven, who seemed to be fine, and then looked back at the maven.

_'Good luck, Riley. I know you will succeed.'  
_  
Riven and I quickly evacuated the confused crowd after Sona returned to Valoran. I let go of her hand as we slowed down to a stop.

"That went smoothly. Are we finished here?" Riven asked. I looked at her and her bags. She quickly placed them behind her. "No, Riley. It's a surprise, remember?"

"I wasn't looking inside," I said, smiling. "We can go, unless you weren't done."

"I am, we can go home now," Riven said, nodding. She handed me my phone. "Angie was writing to you."

"Oh, right. She probably wants something," I said, putting it in my pocket. I tilted my head towards the car. "C'mon, I'm ready for bed."

"It's very early though," Riven said, confusedly. I smirked.

"Oh you have so much to learn about this world, Riven."

* * *

"Riven, run in there," Angie said loudly, sitting beside Riven on the edge of the bed as Riven held the black controller and stared at the screen.

"There are many people in there, it's safer to go slowly," Riven said, turning her face towards Angie's. Angie stared back.

"No, you have to show no fear. The element of surprise is key to winning in these kind of games," Angie said, pointing forward. I leaned back on my chair as I watched the two play Call of Duty 4.

"Good aim helps too," I chimed in before being shushed by Angie.

"Don't listen to him. Just hold down the right trigger and everyone usually dies," Angie said, confidently. While I was a person to use those tactics, I still thought aiming helps most of the time.

I swung forward in the seat and moved my mouse. When I went to the main website for League, the website stopped responding. I checked the wiki and the competitive wiki both with no success. After a bit more searching, I found something; there had also been a big storm in California and Riot lost power. When the power returned, data seemed to vanish out of nowhere, which I guessed meant champions since they said summoner profiles were safe.

After a bit more searching, I found a recent Reddit post that caught my attention and, despite my disdain for the website, I clicked it. A Riot employee commented that hackers were being suspected and that occasionally random champion data returns to them such as Nami, Annie, and Kha'Zix. Everyone was as confused as I was. It seemed like the plot of a Digimon movie. Angie somehow managed to appear over my shoulder.

"This seems like the plot of a Digimon movie, or something," she said. I stared forward in confusion. I wouldn't be surprised at this point if this situation gave her the power to read minds.

"So I guess we're making progress. Eventually all will be sent back. This is crazy still, what kind of storm came through here. It wasn't that bad," I said, turning in the chair.

"Didn't you say the powers just flickered?" Angie asked, as I nodded.

"We sent another one back today. This is going to be like a second job, I guess it's good I don't go to school right now," I said, sitting besides Riven and opening my drawer full of video games.

"Get over it, you made this happen by playing so many video games," Angie said, as she laid behind us, looking at the screen. "Riven, you've been hiding there for like, three minutes."

"It's not safe to leave this spot yet," Riven said, looking back at the girl.

"Along with my third job of dealing with these two..."


	13. A Riven-ting Christmas Eve

**Well, here was the hardest chapter to write, mostly because the lack of a computer and increase in work hours. Nothing much to say aside from the usual things; hope you guys enjoy this! Sorry it's gonna be harder to upload but I won't abandon this!**

* * *

Despite where we worked closing early at 8 p.m on Christmas Eve, we still worked a full day from ten to five. It was a sort of tradition in my family to meet up at one of my aunt's house for Christmas Eve and usually sleep over after opening presents. I say usually because...

"Hurry up Riley, you're worse than a girl," Angie said, as I buttoned my shirt.

well,"You don't have to come with us if you're that impatient," Iw said, turning my head back towards her. "You could've driven."

"Your mom invited me to come and she warned me you take till the last minute to get ready," she said, sitting on the bed. "Or what, you're ashamed of me and don't want to go?"

"Ashamed isn't the word," I said, with a sly smirk. She shook her head with a smile.

"I'll let that one slide since it's almost Christmas. I'm glad it got cold tonight," Angie said, looking around. I nodded as I grabbed my jacket.

"It won't be an regular Florida Christmas," I said, as I grabbed my stuff. I had a habit of where my stuff went; phone and iPod in the right pocket and my wallet and keys in my left; a system I made after my phone's screen got it's first few scratches from the keys. "Hey, maybe it'll snow this year."

"Wouldn't that be something?" Angie said, grabbing my arm. "Where's Riven, she's coming right?"

"Yeah, my mom was helping her wrap presents. Probably doing mine too, last time I tried to wrap a present was a disaster," I said, as I dropped a few pellets of fish food and an algae disc for the fish to eat. I wasn't sure if I'd be dropping Angie off and heading back to my aunts or returning home so better safe than sorry. I grabbed one final small thing before we headed out.

The rest of my family stood around, ready. My dad stood up from the couch and turned the tv off as the three girls stood near the entrance to the apartment. Riven wandered towards us slowly.

"Sorry I took so long," I said, cracking my fingers as Angie winced. I learned she hated when I cracked anything. "Ready then?"

"We have to go pick up some stuff from the supermarket, can you take Nicole too?" My mom asked, as she grabbed her purse. I nodded.

"Sure, I'll see you guys there then," I said, looking around. Angie smiled.

"Thank you again for inviting me," she said, as my mom smiled back.

"Oh, it's no problem! Your parents had no problem with this, right?" She asked, again. Angie shook her head.

"Christmas Eve isn't very celebrated in our house so they don't mind," Angie said, as I looked over at Nicole before turning to Riven. She was holding three similarly sized boxes, which she turned away with when she made eye contact with me.

"No," she said, as I smiled.

"Don't worry, I can't see through cardboard. Let's get going," I said, tilting my head towards the door and taking the keys out of my pocket.

* * *

After a twenty minute drive of listening to Angie and Nicole complain about my driving and me turning sharply to shut them up, we soon arrived at my aunt's neighborhood. Out of my family, these were probably the ones I was closest with. My cousin, Mika, went to middle and high school with me and her mom, my godmother, gave me a ride home after school for the first two years.

Just their two cars were parked outside; I was early like usual. Nonetheless, I parked near the curb because I would have to leave before midnight and didn't want to be blocked off. Riven and I got out and pulled the seats forward as the two other girls got out. I opened the trunk and walked alongside the car.

"Yo, Nicole, help me with this," I said, grabbing a few boxes. She walked over and gave me a weird look.

"Why me?" She asked, as I grabbed a small box to put on top. I showed it to her, an easily recognizable DS game box.

"Or this can easily go to Riven," I said, placing it at the top. She pouted (something that never had worked on me) and grabbed a few small boxes.

We entered into the open garage and knocked on the door leading to the house, which they used as a makeshift front door for reasons unknown to me. My cousin came to the door and quickly moved to the side.

"Hey, what's up," I said, moving inside slowly. I had the majority of the boxes and couldn't see too well in front of me.

"Hey guys, come in," she said, to the group behind me. We made our way towards the large living room area, where I placed the boxes down near the crowded tree. I turned and walked into the kitchen, where my aunt and cousin continued to work on what looked like a salad.

"Your parents are in a separate car?" Mika asked me, as her mom turned and waved at us. She came over and hugged Nicole and I before looking at everyone else.

"Welcome to our home, please make yourselves comfortable, my name is Cecille," my aunt said, waving at the two girls. As with my own mother, her English was very formal. Angie waved happily as Riven bowed her head slightly.

"This is Angie, my girlfriend," I said, waving my hand towards her then moving it towards Riven. "And this is Riven, a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you both, again, please make yourselves at home. I can tell Riley drove since you're the first ones here," my aunt said, with a smile as she turned back to the food she was preparing. Mika walked over to us as we moved to the living room.

"When did this happen?" She asked, pointing at Angie and I.

"Two weeks? Feels like I've known you for months," Angie said, as Nicole nodded.

"Feels like years," I said, receiving a smack. I grinned. "She was Nicole's friend's sister."

"After this pervert asked me to take him shopping for girls undies, I ended up liking him," she said, with a smirk. My cousin laughed, not questioning anything. She looked at Riven; I spoke up.

"She had to leave her home really fast, no time to pack, needed clothes, forgot the underwear," I summarized. "I got her a job at Wendy's and she lives with us now."

"Well, now you can't complain your life is boring, huh?" Mika said, putting one arm around me. It felt like days ago she was taller than me; now she looked up at me.

"Yeah, yeah. I guess not," I said. I heard a noise and turned around. Her dad, my uncle, came in holding some meat.

"Oh, hey Riley. Help me bring some stuff me?" He asked, as he placed the stuff on the kitchen counter and came over to me. I shook his hand and nodded as Mika walked with the three girls to the couch to chat.

'Typical start to a Christmas party. I like being early.'

* * *

After about an hour, most of the people had arrived. The only people around my age were Mika, who was hanging out with most of the little kids, and her cousin Franco, who spent most of his time on his laptop. I sat on the bench of the black, wooden table with Angie and Riven, who had been playing rock, paper, scissors after a bored Angie explained the game to a confused Riven. After a few minutes, the bored Angie became a competitive Angie when Riven began to win more of the rounds.

"You can read minds or something?" Angie said, looking at me. I shook my head as I extended my fist forward. I shook my hand alongside them and lowered my hand flat.

"You're... Really bad at this," I said, as Angie's rock fell onto the table and Riven and I lowered our paper hands.

"This is stupid! This is all luck," Angie said, crossing her arms. "Rock beats almost everything."

"Luck is a skill. You have to develop it," I said, with a grin. Riven turned to me with a confused look.

"Do you believe that?" She asked, as I shook my head slowly.

"Nah, that's a joke I say. I'm usually lucky when it comes to stuff so that's my excuse," I said, as I stared towards the living room.

I had a few gifts, mostly for my immediate family but still got a few smaller things for the more distant relatives. As generous as I usually was, I still had a limit on money and stuff to pay off every other week. My parents had begun mingling with Mika's own parents; my mother speaking with the other women about things in Spanish while my dad and most other men stood outside and prepared the meats while drinking.

After a few minutes of nothing happening, Angie took Riven towards Mika and the kids. I ended up grabbing a can of soda and headed outside, to the small sea of cars. It seemed everyone was visiting whoever lived in this neighborhood.

'Just like every year...'

Every year, I ended up outside for one reason or another. I leaned against one of the bigger cars and began to reflect on my year six days earlier than I was supposed to. This year was surely one of the better ones of my short, adult life but past thoughts still haunted the back of my brain. I heard a sound behind me as I took a sip of my drink.

"Is everything alright?" Riven asked, walking besides up to me. I nodded.

"Yeah, why?" I asked as she leaned next to me. "No idea why but I always do this each year."

"Do you dislike someone there?" Riven asked me, I shook my head with a small smile.

"Sometimes there just isn't a reason to doing things," I responded, as she slowly nodded.

"As with my appearance?" She asked. I nodded again.

"Yeah, like that. That was a good thing though, we don't need an explanation for that," I said, extending my arm out to her. She grabbed the cool can.

"What is on your mind, Riley?" Riven asked.

"Every year when I'm here, usually something big is happening or something I think is important at the time..." I began, staring around. "Five years ago, I was talking on the phone with a girl that would eventually dump me for no reason. Now I'm here with you."

"Things work out in strange ways," Riven said, smiling. She suddenly stared forward before turning towards me. "There's something nearby."

"Lead the way," I said, nodding. I pushed myself off the car as I followed her.

* * *

There wasn't much to the neighborhood besides streets and houses but we stopped a few streets down. It seemed normal like the rest; crowded with cars but devoid of people. This street, however, seemed to be frozen in time.

Riven and I stopped from our brief sprint. I caught my breath as Riven looked around, with her sheathed sword appearing on her waist.

"If this keeps up I'll be in shape again... What do you see?" I asked her. As far as I could see, I saw nothing although now I was beginning to feel presence. "Seems you're better at this than I am."

"Stay on guard, Riley. There's a champion around here," Riven said, holding her sword near her.

"We've handled worse," I said, as I nodded.

We moved forward together, turning around at every sound we heard. I remained a few steps behind Riven as she looked around. My hand moved towards my pocket and I pulled out a small knife. I fumbled with it quietly.

'Never thought this would be used for this,' I thought, extending the gray blade. It was a small knife Greg had left at my house and eventually let me keep. I mostly used it as a utility knife but it had very little utility aside from cutting. Riven looked back at me, focusing on what I was holding.

"Why?" She asked, stopping her feet.

"Just in case," I said, looking at her. "I'm not gonna run if anything... Happens."

"If anything does happen, you are going to run. You won't stand a chance against a champion," Riven said, turning away. "You don't have any powers... Or the best physique."

"I have something... And hey, don't be that way," I said, as I walked towards her. She turned her head towards me.

"Stay out of this. You have family... And Angie. If either of us has to live, it's you, summoner," she said, sharply. "I'll protect you with my life."

"Stop saying shit like that!" I said, grabbing her arm before she walked away. "You have the same things... Not exactly family but friends... Angie... If I can protect you, I will."

"Shut up," she said, taking her arm back. "Champions are taught to listen to their summoners and that's it. There's no emotions involved. I'm just doing my duty as a champion."

"I don't care. You're here and you're telling me there's no emotions?" I asked her. "I can't stop thinking about things you tell me sometimes. I don't want to be a memory to you but... Let's just... Go."

"I'm sorry. I'll explain myself later," Riven said, as I walked past her. I saw a shadow of something in between some houses. I tilted my head towards it.

"There's something there... Careful," I said, as she moved forward quickly. She pointed her blade forward, towards the figure. I knelt down behind a car, keeping an eye on her.

"Show yourself," Riven began. As she stepped forward, she continued speaking. "This is not our world. We can send you back peacefully or by force."

"Riven, is it? The Noxian exile?" The figure said, as it stepped forward. It was a very large figure and I still couldn't make it out. "What makes you so sure we have to go back?"

"This is not our world," Riven repeated. "I'm not warning you again."

"These people are powerless compared to us... We can easily rule this place," the female voice said. I began to recognize her as she came closer. It was Sejuani and her boar, Bristle.

"That's enough. You won't listen to reason," Riven said, dashing forward.

"Heh, make this interesting then, Exile," Sejuani said, as her boar moved forward.

As Riven swung her sword, Sejuani crashed her bola on the blade, causing Riven to stagger. lammed it's body forward as Riven dashed backward. She began swinging her sword at the pair before quickly moving away. Riven seemed to be struggling more than Sejuani, who immediately moved forward again with her bola raised. Her arm was behind her; I began to run.

"Only my weakling sisters would find you a threat," she said, chuckling. She swung her arm as she let go of the bola. "Prepare to die, weapon in hand!"

I pushed Riven away and felt the bola hit the ground near me, shattering, and made me barely able to move. Riven stared at me from the ground as I turned back around, with a smirk.

"Work on your aim," I said, as her boar growled and I fell onto one knee. A wave of cold hit me again, I felt my chest tighten for a few seconds as I struggled to breathe again. I stared up at the woman, who held her weapon again, ready to slam it down.

"I'll make this quick, pathetic summoner," she said, as I closed my eyes. I felt a few shards of ice hit my face, I opened one eye.

Riven stood between us, with her sword at full power, holding the woman's bola back. She pushed forward, causing the woman to stagger. She dashed forward and stunned the woman with a burst of energy before beginning her assault. Once Riven slammed onto the ground, Sejuani dashed forward again as Riven dashed to the side. She angled her sword at an angle and swung it, shooting her Wind Slash and hitting both the woman and boar.

"H-How?!" Sejuani said, as I slowly stood up. I stepped forward at the stunned woman, extending my hand forward, with a smirk.

"Merry Christmas, Sejuani."

* * *

I sat on the ground, shivering slightly. Riven walked over and sat down on the ground.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't do that again," I said, turning towards her with a grin. "No promises."

"Just let me do the actual fighting then... Thank you... I know these battles seem quick but they take a lot out of us," Riven said, crossing her legs. We were in the middle of the street but it didn't seem like any cars would be coming anytime soon.

"That seems fair," I said, yawning. Riven turned her head towards me.

"What did you mean earlier? About memories?" Riven asked. I sighed.

"Just a stupid thought... I know you have to go back eventually but the way you said that scared me. I don't want to be a memory... Guess I'm getting used to having you around so much, it feels natural," I said, avoiding eye contact. She looked towards the ground.

"I see..." Riven said. She looked forward and spoke quietly. "I'm sorry."

"We should head back then... Sorry if I made this weird," I said, standing up. I extended my hand; Riven grabbed it and hoisted herself up. "I'm glad you came today."

"Thank you for letting me," she said, walking slightly ahead of me. I grabbed another thing from my pocket and held it; the small, silver necklace I had bought. I closed my hand and opened my mouth to call out her name.

"There you guys are, where'd you go?" Angie asked, slowing to a halt near us. She looked around. "Did something show up?"

"Yeah, we took care of it just now, we were starting to head back," I said, smiling. I put my fist in my pocket and began to walk. "C'mon, we're starving, you better have left some food for us."

"Shut up. Riven probably did all the work, she gets the food," Angie said, as she walked alongside Riven, who nodded with a confused face. I sighed.

'This better not be my new Christmas tradition... Although the company is nice.'


	14. I'll Face Myself With You

**Hello my favorite online people! Here is chapter 14. **

**A few news: I finally entered this decade and got my first smartphone so now it doesn't matter if I can't get to a computer. Now I write before work so hopefully that speeds this up. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

"Angie, look out!"

Riven turned towards her, holding her charged blade, before turning towards me. I nodded as I pushed Angie away from the incoming attack. A disgusting projectile of who knows what fell where she was standing as we leaned behind a pillar. I took her to a small area with a roof, as I turned away.

"Stay here, we'll handle this," I said, as I moved back to where Riven was. Angie said something but I couldn't make it out.

Riven stood a few yards away from the other champion, Kog'Maw. Despite how easy it was to defeat Kog'Maw in the game, Riven couldn't get near him without putting herself in danger. Every time she took a step, his Void Ooze kept her slowed enough for his other ability to hit while he retreated. I looked at Riven.

"Just follow my lead," I said, standing across the parking lot from her. I was going to distract him while she attacked; our usual plan. She nodded, probably feeling reluctant like usual.

I ran forward first, leaning down to grab an empty can that was on the ground, and threw it as I got near the champion. He stepped forward a few steps and shot another Living Artillery, which I easily stepped out of the way of. Once I had his attention, I saw Riven begin to move forward. I moved closer, causing him to spit out his Void Ooze. I felt my shoes stick to the floor as I struggled to move.

"Now!" I said, causing Kog'Maw to turn around. Once he saw Riven, he turned back and stepped forward, launching another Living Artillery. I crossed my arms over my head as Riven began to attack the void creature. I felt the attack hit me, hitting my arms and head slightly. I fell onto the ground from the force.

"Riley!" Riven said, running towards me, followed by Kog'Maw's body. I crossed my arms again as Riven dashed forward and wrapped her arms around me, with her Valor shield surrounding both of us. I closed my eyes, feeling a sharp pain shoot throughout my body as Riven fell onto one knee. "Are you alright?"

"I should be the one asking that one," I said, standing up slowly. I extended my arm and Riven hoisted herself up quickly. I took off my dress shirt and tossed it into my car's truck. "I don't even what to think about what was on me."

"Thank you again, we're one step closer to returning our worlds to balance," Riven said, as I turned towards the fallen… disgusting champion, there was no getting around that, at this point. As Angie walked over towards us, Riven turned her attention towards her. "Sorry, Angie."

"It's not your fault. I suppose it's for the better so we can enjoy the party instead," She said, cheerily. She grabbed my arm. "Are you seriously okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit of a headache," I said, as we began to walk inside the place.

Today was January 11th; Angie's 21st birthday. The soon-to-be alcohol filled girl had invited us to go bowling before a small get together at her house. As far as I knew, it was a few of her girl friends and us. It was either going to be pretty fun or a complete disaster but either way, I had to go.

The blast of A/C from a building was a near godsend to anyone who lived in Florida. Riven gave me a look of relief as she headed towards the bathrooms as she wasn't lucky enough to have worn a dress shirt like me... told you luck was a skill.

As the champion walked away, I felt my arm be pulled. Angie stood still as she jerked me back towards her.

"Why can't you just leave these fights to Riven, you know that worries me," Angie said, either quietly or overpowered by the music. I shook my head. A topic we've had multiple times... and always fought about.

"In the game, Riven can easily fight most champions by herself but that's with the help of items and summoner commands. I can't just let her do this alone, you know that," I said, sighing. It's been a constant bickering about that for the past two weeks and my answer never changed.

"I seriously can't stop remembering the Gnar encounter… what would've happened if you broke something?!" she said, a bit more loudly.

"Then I finally get a vacation from work," I said, jokingly. When Angie didn't flinch at the joke, I continued speaking. "At those times, I don't really think. Did you ever hear the quote 'Don't think, feel?'"

"I'm glad you don't think of my feelings when it matters to me." she said, turning away slightly. She began to walk away before turning around and nearly shouting at me. "You're not gonna say anything, you jerk?"

"I told you I'm a shitty boyfriend. I can leave now, if you want. I wouldn't be here at all if your feelings didn't matter, it's just different during battle," I said, putting my hands in my pocket.

"You're something else… making a girl cry during her birthday." she said, avoiding my eyes. I was doing the same; it seemed neither of us knew that. "I seriously dislike that I like you right now."

"I know. We can talk abo-," I began before she turned at me with a fierce, glossy eyed glare.

"Just leave, I don't want to talk right now," Angie said, sighing and sobbing.

"Alright."

If that was a test and I was supposed to stay and hug her, I failed.

* * *

My room was a quiet, slightly tense room. Riven and I had returned from work; Angie had us request the day off but we had nothing to do after leaving the bowling alley so I called and they said they could use us. Sacrificing my Fridays off was something I didn't like to do.

"Are you okay, Riley?" Riven asked, looking back at me. I nodded and sat up. "Do you want to go see her?"

"No. What good is that gonna do? We're both too stubborn," I said, sighing.

"I think you should go, she's clearly worried about you," Riven said, as I slowly nodded.

"I know she is... but I'm worried about the both of you. I know you can fight on your own but I still feel like I need to help if I can," I said, as she nodded now.

"Your intentions are good but… Riley," Riven said, standing up. I stared up at her.

"Sense something?" I asked, getting up as she nodded. "Let's go then."

We quickly moved through the house and towards the door. This was the first time we encountered two champions in one night… if we did run into whoever Riven sense. My legs were killing me from the six hours of standing still and now having to sprint. I sucked it up as I opened the door, where someone was standing on the other side.

"A-Angie?" I stuttered, as she seemed like she wasn't about to knock. "What are you doing here?"

"Come with me, we have to talk," She said, looking up at me. Her eyes were red; I looked at Riven as she continued to walk.

"I can handle it Riley, go," She said, as she took off without my answer.

I followed Angie to the only, small playground in my neighbourhood. It was almost 8 so it was empty. I took a seat besides her, looking out towards the gated tennis court. She coughed to get my attention.

""I overreacted, I'm sorry," She said, quietly.

"I didn't give you any reason not to. I told you I wasn't good at this," I said, as she shook her head.

"No, you're the best… I ruined my own birthday because I don't want you to protect me? How stupid does that sound?" She said, looking forward. A few cars were driving towards parking spots, nothing out of the ordinary. "Tell me more about you…"

"Alright, get ready for a shitty story," I said, with a smirk. I adjusted my body to a semi-comfortable position on the cold, metal bench. "I was a terrible kid. I was spoiled but respectful. Anything people said about me haunted me for months… years sometimes. After years, I just wanted to prove everyone wrong and change but people always reminisce about things crappy for me."

"I see… I won't ask about that stuff then," She began, I shook my head and continued speaking.

"I've lied, stolen, cheated out of almost every emotion. A former girlfriend dumped me and I felt like I had to hate her but now, I consider her a good friend because I accepted how I was. I know what I need to do to better myself… I just haven't achieved it yet. That's why I told you I wasn't a good boyfriend," I said, leaning back. She nodded. "I'm trying to face myself and better myself everyday."

"I told you I didn't care. I knew you for 3 days when I already felt like you were the best thing to happen to me in a while, remember?" She said, looking over at me. "All I did was go to school and try to get good grades. My problems seem like nothing to yours, I'm just selfish, aren't I?"

"No, at least that's not how I see it. Everyone's problems are important. I don't ask for help because I'm stubborn but I'd help anyone who needs it," I said, grinning. "That's what I want to do. It's a main reason I'm still at Wendy's too. I despise working there half the time but they are like a separate family and they helped Riven out."

"I'm so pissed at myself. I'm literally the one ruining this relationship when you have nothing but good intentions…" Angie said, staring at the ground.

"You're acting like we broke up. I'm sorry but I have to help Riven sometimes... I won't feel right otherwise," I said, looking at her. She nodded.

"All I do is overreact. Can you forgive me?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, of course. Everyone has their flaws," I said, as she hugged me tightly. Time seemed to be at a halt for us. I grabbed her hand as I smirked. "How convenient."

I pulled Angie with me as we ran towards the center of the parking lots. She didn't ask why, I was sure she probably knew why. I felt something around us but I couldn't find a precise location. I places her behind me

"Keep your eyes open till Riven gets here. If you see anything, tell me," I said, feeling her head nod.

"I'm scared..." Angie quietly said, as I looked around cautiously.

"I know. I'll keep you safe, don't worry," I said. 'Riven... where are you?'

"R-Riley, hel-" I heard before turning around and jerking Angie towards me. I saw a very familiar champion I hadn't seen in almost a year.

"You have to leave, this isn't your world," I said, staring at the grinning woman.

"I'm aware but I find this world rather interesting," the spider queen said. Elise stepped forward and touched my face... which seemed to terrify Angie more than me. "So many things to toy with."

"The only thing that concerns me is returning everything to normal. I have to return you to Valoran," I said, pushing her sharp finger away. She shook her head.

"Outside of our world, you have no true powers. What is stopping me from simply ending your life?" She said, as Angie pushed her away.

"S-Shut up! Just go back and leave us alone!" Angie said, as the woman scoffed. She kneeled down and began to change... she leaped forward and I quickly jumped in front of Angie, feeling a sharp bite on my shoulder. I pushed the massive spider away and grabbed the wound. Angie grabbed my arm. "N-no!

"I'm okay... just run away, I can handle this," I said, stepping forward slowly. Angie reached for my arm and I shook my head. "Trust me, I'm pretty good at this."

"Foolish child, you will die where you stand!" The spider's distorted voice said as she moved towards me, with two small spiders behind her. I stepped forward without thought. My body felt lighter and I seemed to lose control of myself.

"If you won't return peacefully, I'll just have to make you return by force," I said, extending my arm forward, unsure of what would happen. Elise snapped forward again and I quickly stepped back.

"You're a fly in my web. Keep struggling," she said, transforming back into her human form. She stepped forward and shot her neurotoxin forward, which made my body sting sharply. I lowered myself to one knee. She grabbed my chin and raised my head. "Pathetic. Now just stand still and watch what I'm going to do to her."

"Riley, no!" Angie shouted, as Elise turned towards her. I grabbed my small knife and nodded slightly at Angie. She seemed to understand... I hoped. "S-Stay away, you ugly spider!"

"You vile brat, I'm going to enjoy putting you in your place," Elise said, slowly turning into her spider form. I prepared myself and once she got close enough, I took off in a sprint.

_'If she's not around... I gotta defend us!'_

I closed my eyes as I felt the blade penetrate something and fell once my body shut off.

* * *

I recognized where I was slowly sat up, feeling a wave of pain nearly every step of the way. I looked around at my dark room and saw neither Riven nor Angie. I slowly swung my legs off the side of the bed and felt an itch near my shoulder. As I reached for it, I saw the area where I was bitten was bandaged.

_'Great… itchy and in pain.'_

I slowly stood up and stretched my arms. I grabbed my phone to check for any messages but there was nothing. I just remember talking to Angie and… Elise. What happened with her? If I blacked out, she could still be out there. As I took a few steps forward, I noticed something weird resting on my chair. I moved my mouse to illuminate the room.

"What the..." I said, grabbing what looked like Riven's sword. This always disappeared when our battle ended and was never out of Riven's possession. I continued walking towards the door, slowly and whilst holding onto my wall.

In the living room, I saw Angie asleep on a couch. She was sitting up and still dressed, as if she wasn't thinking of sleeping. I kept walking and saw Riven standing outside on the balcony. I walked quietly, to not wake Angie, and slid the door open.

"Nice view, huh?" I asked as she nodded. She was resting her arms on the railing. It was quite cool outside, to my surprise. I walked beside her. "Any idea how I found your sword?"

"That is not my sword. Are you alright?" Riven asked, turning around. Her eyes were slightly red... I avoided her eyes from then on.

"Yeah... just sore where I got bitten. Were you crying?" I asked, sitting on one of the plastic chairs outside. She shook her head quickly.

"I was worried... I didn't make it in time. Elise was slain and Angie was above you in tears when I arrived... I had found another champion myself," She said, sighing quietly. "I thought the worst had happened."

"Don't worry, you won't get rid of me that easily. Who did you find?" I asked as she glared at me

"This isn't a joke! I-... I don't get it," she began. "I didn't think twice of death when I fought. Being a champion changed me... I don't care for the political squabbles nor have I ever cared for any summoner before. There are thousand summoners better than you... I don't know what to think right now... I was terrified when I saw you laying there."

"Riven..." I began. I stood up and hugged the woman. "Hey, I was scared too. I was worried sick about you too. What if you ran into something you needed help with? I'd rather not split up anymore."

"I went from a non-emotional fighter to this... heh, I must look pathetic," Riven said, chuckling quietly. I shook my head.

"Same bad ass champion I summoned a month ago," I said, letting her go. She turned back towards the railing. "Anyway... about this sword..."

"You were holding it when I arrived, just as I was holding my own sword. That small knife seemed to have changed form somehow... I have no idea why or how," Riven said, extending her arm. She took the blade and it seemed to darken slightly. "It reacts as mine does. Only your energy can power it to its fullest."

"Huh... weird. Guess we shouldn't question it too much, just another means of protection," I said, taking the broken sword back. "Things kinda heavy though..."

"Perhaps you are just weak," Riven said with a smirk.

"C'mon... I got bit by a spider queen, gimme a break," I jokingly said.

"Did you and Angie resolve your problems?" Riven asked me. I nodded.

"I think so. Lets go get some sleep," I said, as Riven nodded in agreement.

_"What a day, suppose its a good thing we have tomorrow off now."_


	15. Surprised

**Hello everyone. I've been writing up a storm lately. I went to an anime convention very unexpectedly and all I did during the nights was write on my phone. I finished this and the next chapter is about 1/4th done. Hope you enjoy! :**

* * *

I sat in the desolate dining area of the store, feeling awkward as everyone worked around me while Riven and I sat in one of the booths. Carla's computer was on the table with who knows what on the screen. She had called me here for some reason and, after a few seconds of groaning about it, I brought us here. She said she had something to ask me and would rather it be in person. Riven dropped the pen she was holding onto the table and looked at me.

"How do you do that so easily?" She asked. I initially wondered what she meant but when her eyes moved towards my own hand, I found out she meant twirling the pen a certain way.

"I don't remember. Some kid in a class when I was in 9th grade used to do this so I practiced for the entire year and now I do it without thinking," I said, smiling. She stared intently at my hand.

"You always seem to have a new trick, summoner," She said, as Carla began to walk towards us, holding her usual clipboard and folders. She sat across from me and greeted us both as she interlaced her fingers.

"So, what's so important that it needs me during a day off… " I said, yawning slightly. I wasn't planning to wake up until… I woke up. She gave me her usual 'Stop the sarcastic crap, it's too early' look I often got and began to speak.

"I'm not going to keep you longer than I need to. I want you to be a manager," She said, as I now avoided eye contact. "I need another manager, it was either Alyssa or you. Alyssa said no because of school so you're the other person I was going to ask."

"Really? I haven't even been here that long…" I said, quietly. I had thought about this moment randomly here and there. My decision was never the same.

"That doesn't matter. You work well, you know computers, you speak English well. The only thing I'm worried about is how you'll order people around, you're too soft spoken. What do you think?" She asked.

"I... I guess. Other than Alyssa, I wouldn't want anyone else to be a manager… If you think I can do it, I'll give it a try," I said, sighing slightly. "Glad I was your second choice then."

"Quit being a smartass," She said, giving me a tired look while rubbing her temples.

"Don't fire me," I said, jokingly. She handed me a printed sheet. It just seemed to be a list of instructions.

"Just do these courses online, I'll order your uniform," She said, standing up. "Thank you, you'll be alright. Nice to see you guys, I'll see you this weekend."

"And just like that, I'm a manager… wow," I said, crossing my arms. Riven stared at me. "I'll be one of the bosses."

"Seems fitting. You work very well," Riven said, nodding. Everyone around us continued to move; we seemed so out of place. I smirked and leaned back.

"I'm not sure if this was smart. I'm not very good at obeying rules I don't believe in, if she thinks I can do it then I'll try my best," I said, standing up. Riven followed me as I gave a weak wave to my coworkers I rarely saw. "Guess we should go back home, unless you want to go somewhere?"

"Nowhere in particular but I'll enjoy myself as long as we're together," Riven said, as we entered the car.

_'D-Don't say things like that, Riven.'_

* * *

"Thank you for having me over ma'am," Angie said, as she sat in the wooden dinner table.

My parents made a special dinner to celebrate my promotion. They also invited Angie, who I had merely told by text. Riven and I sat against the wall, as we always did when we had dinner at the table. I poked at the remainder of my food as my mom and Nicole began to tidy up the area.

"I love lasagna so much it's not even funny," I said, lowering my head.

"I can tell. The reason your mom made so much was too feed the rest of us while you destroyed that pan," Angie said, sarcastically. I looked up at her.

"Hey, shut up. You're not exactly feminine when you devour a whole pizza either," I said, as she shook her head.

"Please, this isn't even about me," she said, with a smirk. "Riven, have you ever had this before?"

"Yes. He buys it very often and prepares it. It was very good," Riven said, as I turned away from Angie.

"You seriously buy family size lasagnas for yourself?!" Angie said. I felt her gaze penetrate my skull.

"Hey, this isn't about that. Can we not fight over this?" I asked, hoping to be spared by the anger of the gods. Angie nodded with a smirk.

"Fine, fine. I'll let you win one fight where I'm clearly right," she said, as I stood up. She looked over at Riven. "That means you're going to be Riven's boss right?"

"I guess. I don't think much will change, everyone I see there does their jobs well," I said, as Riven and I moved out from the table.

"Well, I did have a surprise for you… now it has an actual reason," Angie said, with a grin. I cringed silently. I stared towards the roof.

"Thought you were on my side today…" I said, receiving a hit from... I wonder who.

* * *

_'This is starting to become bothersome...'_ I thought, as I moved through the backstreets behind the Wendys we worked at. Riven ran besides me, holding her uncharged sword, wearing her full uniform.

"Right before work... at least it wasn't during our day off," I jokingly said, as Riven slowed down. Her bronzed skin was glistening... you couldn't avoid sweating during the incredibly humid mornings. She nodded as she caught her breath while I developed lung problems trying to look manly. "These two days will be a godsend."

"Seems we're close... keep your guard up," she said, moving slowly through the sea of parked cars. I scanned the other side. I was beginning to sense something... something behind me. When Riven turned towards me, I felt a sharp, cold feeling on my neck.

"Drop your knives, Katarina, or I'll make sure you never see your father again," Riven said, angrily. Katarina laughed, lowering the blade slightly.

"Your quick to protect this kid while refusing to fight for your own people... how pathetic, Exile," Katarina said, smirking. She leaned forward and moved the dagger towards my cheek. "Fallen in love with a mere summoner, have you? Aren't such things taboo?"

"I will not repeat myself, assassin," She said, as I looked around quickly. I held the mysterious sword in my right hand but knew I'd be too slow to attack.

"Always so serious, Riven. No one can ever have a good time around you, can they?" Katarina said, grinning. She extended her head forward and looked at me. "Seems like I'd be putting you to rest from dealing with this arrogant bitch, wouldn't I?"

"Please let her go," I said, as she grinned and pulled her head away. I winked at Riven as her expression remained the same. The woman holding me jabbed me in the stomach with the grip of her blade. I lowered my head and Riven stepped forward quickly.

"I love hearing things like that. The cries of the weak," Katarina said. I feigned a struggle as I shot my head backwards with full force. Once the woman staggered, I broke free and Riven rushed forward. I turned after hearing a quick noise and swung the sword, connecting with the woman's side.

"I know your tricks, Katarina," I said, grinning as the woman moved back, holding her side. I might not have any magic skills but I can sure swung a heavy object...

"Clever trick, I'll kill you where you stand," Katarina said, drawing a second dagger.

The assassin took off towards us and vanished. Riven backed up until our backs touched.

"Remain calm, you won't be hurt," Riven said, as I smirked.

"Hey, you too. Not looking forward to having to cover for you if you get hurt," I said. 'Why can't I be the one protecting her?'

Katarina appeared with a grin infront of me and began to throw her daggers, turning her body quickly. I raised the broken sword up before Riven dashed forward, activating her shield. The sound of metal clinking as the daggers fell onto the ground filled the air around us. I moved out of the shield and swung the sword with both hands on it's side, knocking the woman over. Riven moved forward and leaped upwards, landing her blade against the ground almost an inch from the woman's face.

"I fight for my own Noxus, I don't need a glorified sellsword for a morality lesson," she said, raising her blade again. Katarina scowled, as she struggled to get her footing. "Send my regards to Valoran."

Riven swung her sword and released her Wind Slash towards the assassin, who seemed to finally run out of tricks. Once the woman seemed to give up, I stepped forward and a bright light engulfed her.

"If she doesn't kill her first target, she becomes a non-factor..." I said, as I sat on the concrete curb. I yawned loudly as Riven stood over me. "You alright?"

"Yes, are you? Should we be heading to work now?" She asked, as I shook my head.

"We don't have to hurry, we can't get worse than Carla's rage when you're late," I said, half jokingly. I grabbed my phone. Two missed called while the time read 10:08 a.m. "Yep, let's go, I'm ready to face my fears."

"Isn't being late the sign of a bad employee?" Riven asked, tilting her head. This all meant that she was also late.

"C'mon, I have a fantastic excuse, don't worry," I said, grinning as we neared the restaurant.

"I am starting to not have a good feeling when you say things like that," Riven said, as she followed me. I smirked towards her.

"Trying to keep things interesting for you," I said, as I slowly opened the door. My phone read 10:11 a.m now... no people or cars were here. I slowly walked towards the third computer as I clocked in. As if linked to the computer, I heard my name be yelled.

"Where were you, you're late," asked Carla's main goon, Anna. She turned to Riven.

"C'mon, I don't feel late," I said, yawning. She pressed a few buttons on the register and assigned me to it. She stared at me like she always did before walking away. I grabbed one of the headsets as Riven began to put stuff under the front counter. "See, we didn't get in trouble."

"I don't think she was too pleased with your comment…" Riven said, as I waved her off.

"Don't worry about it. I've been here long enough to be late a few times," I said, as I leaned against my corner of the store. "Plus, we have two days off after this... I never work hard on a day before a day off."

"You never work hard at all," a familiar voice said. I gripped the metal frame of the window as Angie turned the corner, holding a bucket of ice. I blinked a few times but the image of her in a uniform only seemed to get clearer. "Surprise, by the way."

"Why...?" was all I could muster as she poured the ice under the soda spigots. She handed me the bucket.

"I needed a job anyway, I told the manager I can keep you on a tight leash too," Angie said, smirking. "I've been back there making salads, waiting for your slacker self."

"What? You know we come in at ten whenever we work," I said, yawning at the perfect time as Carla came around the corner. I fumbled for a white rag near my left hand.

"Working hard, I see," Carla said shaking her head. She stopped and looked at Riven and then at me. "Diana called out today, one of you has to make sandwiches."

"Why not teach Angie?" I asked, shrugging. "I'm slow as hell, pick me if you want complaints."

"I will do it," Riven said, as Carla immediately nodded happily. She wasn't one to complain when someone volunteered.

"Good, good. At least you're not a slacker like this one," Carla said as she pointed to the wall as I heard my headset beep. "Grab a pair of gloves."

"Today'll be interesting."

* * *

The entire day went without a hitch, strangely. Riven made no mistakes as Angie struggled to learn the registers. I sat with Riven as Angie awaited her replacement.

"Man, you're faster than anyone I've seen so far," I said, as I took a sip of my water.

"I already learned how to prepare them. The execution was easy if I have what i need," Riven said, smiling.

"You know, from what I read about your world, you didn't seem like you'd be so smiley," I said. Riven's expression darkened slightly.

"There's not much to smile about in a world full of violence. At least when you're fighting for something you don't believe in," Riven said, quietly. "I have no reason not to smile here."

"Sure makes me feel shitty for thinking my life is so boring," I said, leaning back on my chair slightly. "Sorry I asked, seems like a stupid thing to bring up."

"Makes sense you'd say it then," Angie said, as she stopped by our table.

"Yeah, I'm the one that needed help on basically every order," I retorted, as Angie buried her foot into mine.

"Well, I'm going home, I have school tomorrow morning," Angie said, as I also stood up.

"I'm surprised you're driving yourself home when I'm around," I said, as the three of us walked out together. Angie had parked directly beside me, I didn't notice since Riven began detecting Katarina when we arrived.

"Yeah, now that I have a job, I pretty much don't need you anymore," she said, as she got into her car. "I'll see you later, loser."

"Yeah, yeah, bye," I said, waving slightly as Riven and I got into our car. As I began to drive, I noticed the broken blade in the backseat... mine didn't conveniently vanish when not in use. "Anything you wanna do later?"

"Nothing in particular. I did want to continue playing the game you recommended," she said, as she stared out the window.

"That'll be fine. I don't really have anything planned," I said, as Riven turned towards me.

"Do you like Angie?" She asked, as I looked at her nervously.

"Where'd that come from all of the sudden?" I asked, as we pulled into the neighbourhood. The deity over street lights smiled on us this day. Getting hired here was lucky, it was seriously the closest fast food place.

"She asked me during work. You seem agitated when she's around," Riven said, looking forward. The clouds were very dark, it seemed like it would start raining anytime soon.

"I mean... I do like her. I can't explain it," I began before Riven cut me off, which she never did.

"Are you worried about hurting her?" Riven asked, as I parked into my regular corner parking spot.

"Maybe... I don't really want to talk about this now," I said, as I got out of the car.

"It's not good to keep things bottled inside, Riley. You should speak with her," Riven said, walking towards me. The cold rain began to pour, I began to think about how anime this must've all looked.

"I don't think she'd like what she'd hear," I began, as Riven looked at me.

"Please tell me, I want to be helpful to you," Riven said. I clenched my fists slightly as I began to walk. My arm was grabbed by her.

"Riven... please let this go. This is something I don't want to deal with right now," I said. She shook her head.

"You're there for me during my fights, I must be there for you during yours," she said, as the rain began to fall harder. Cold rain combined with the hot sun was a truly disgusting feeling. I quickly pulled my arm away and faced the woman.

"Fine, you want to know. I'll tell you," I said, grabbed a small object from my pocket, something I began to always carry. "I like Angie as a friend. I felt the relationship was too rushed, plus this manager thing is still lingering over me, it's kinda stressing me out."

"You should tell Angie that. She deserves to know," Riven said, as I grabbed her arm now.

"She really needs to know what a horrible guy I am right?" I began. When Riven seemed to begin parting her lips, I spoke again while holding forward a small silver chain of interlinked hearts. "I bought this for her during Christmas... I couldn't give it to her... I..."

I took a deep breath as Riven's eyes seemed to be piercing my soul, possibly thinking of the answers. Time seemed to stop... for very different reasons than they'd gotten used to. I continued.

"I can't stop thinking... about you," I began, quietly. Riven seemed a bit stunned. "I've never met anyone I'd jump blindly into danger for like you... sure I'd protect anyone but... I want you, Riven!"

I stared at her evasive eyes as she breathed quietly. I took a few steps closer as she looked up at me. Her face and hair were lightly covered with water; she looked as beautiful as always.

"That's the feelings I've been fighting with for a month now... I'm sorry," I said, starting to walk. Once our hands were about to part, Riven tightened her grip and walked up to me.

"I-... Riley," she said, quietly. "I've done things I'm not proud of to people who were defenseless... now I feel defenseless..."

"Let's just forget this ever..." I began, sighing. "I suppose that's impossible."

"I'm not sure about what is happening or what is going to happen... I know what is happening at the current moment," Riven said, quietly. She shook her head slightly and re-focused on me. "I know right now... I feel the same way."

"I'm sorry this took so long..." I said, handing her the small bracelet. She quickly wrapped her arms around me. After what seemed like an eternity, she slowly pulled her head back and stared at me. "I don't ever want my melancholic life back if it means you're with me."

The exile moved herself forward and before either of us could think to stop, the gap between our lips ceased to exist. I only wished time would remain frozen.

"I am very happy right now, summoner..."


	16. Traffic Jams And Little Sisters

**I thought this chapter was coming along really slowly but it has only been two weeks, not bad for me. I'm having a bit of a difficult time lately, I stepped down to a crew position at my work again due to the stress getting to me and got in a car crash, I spent the entire two weeks freaking out over money. Life sucks, amirite? Things are looking better now so that's always good!**

**Anyway, I've been writing the story slowly on my phone and finally decided it was a good time to upload this chapter. It ended up being way bigger than I thought. The first time I checked it was like, 2k words and I wanted to go for at least 3k, ended up with around 4k. Hope you guys enjoy it! **

**Also thanks to everyone's reviews. I dislike the guy that said I should use Nocture (jk but still) soon, I was planning on it and stuff :X**

* * *

The very quick honeymoon phase already seemed to be nearing its end. I sat up on the bed, holding my 2DS as Riven laid towards the end of the bed, holding the black controller. One the screen was one of my favorite games; Persona 3 FES.

"I dislike these instant death abilities. Seems it is very luck dependant," Riven said, as the game began reloading.

"Yeah, games hard as hell. The final boss took me three forty minute tries that I failed right at the end," I said, remembering one of the few times my nerd heart stopped beating for a few seconds. I put the handheld on sleep mode and moved to the foot of the bed. "Stop using Orpheus when you fight those reaper guys, he's weak against darkness. They're weak to fire but if you miss, you're as good as dead. Wanna play something else with me?"

"Alright. What is it?" She asked, as I switched inputs and put a game in the Xbox. I handed her the wireless controller as Persona 4 Arena loaded up.

"Fighting game. I need to get good at this one," I said, as she nodded.

"Okay, I won't go easy on you then," Riven said, as I faced the TV.

* * *

I sat in my computer chair, tapping my phone lightly on the wooden desk. It was almost seven at night... we'd spent the entire day playing video games... avoiding this conversation with the girl in the other side of the phone.

Riven and I briefly talked about it... my biggest concern would be her reaction. I wasn't very good at this but it had to be done; I sent a quick text message.

'Hey, I need to talk to you,' I began.

'What's up?' She replied. I gulped, this was already hard to do. Seemed I took too long, she sent a second text. 'Call?'

"I'll... be back," I said, quickly exiting the room. I went outside onto the stairway and began to call whilst heading for the parking spots. I'd surely need to nervously pace for this.

"Riley?" She said, quietly.

"Hey Angie," I responded. I began to pace around nervously, as I always did when I was anxious.

"This isn't going to be a happy call is it?" She asked, as I stopped in my tracks. I gripped the phone tightly.

"Not... really. It's not," I began. She spoke, as I heard quiet attempts to muffle sobs. "I-I'm sorry."

"I kinda figured it would happen soon... you've been so distant lately. What... did I do wrong?" She asked as I sat on the curb.

"Nothing... I just... I think we should be friends instead... I told you I'm terrible at this," I said. Her tone changed.

"God, you're such an idiot! You're dumping me and... nevermind," she said, sighing. "I'm... I need some time."

She hung up immediately after saying that. I felt drained; I could barely keep my heavy eyes up. I slowly made my way back towards my home.

* * *

After an awkward dinner with my mother and Nicole, I ended up back on my bed. Riven sat beside me as I toyed with the Xbox controller that was near me.

"I'm so tired. I'm so glad we have two days off in a row," I said, as Riven nodded.

"The weather sure isn't helping your fatigue. The constant rain and heat are bothersome," She said, as I turned onto my stomach.

"Welcome to Florida. I wish my parents would've decided on somewhere a bit cooler," I said, as Riven continued to play. Whenever I suggested a game, she spent hours analysing almost everything about it... she would be playing this for a good while.

"Are you going to remain here forever?" Riven asked. I shook my head.

"Hopefully not. It's nice but I'd rather live somewhere else. Probably in the northern part of the east coast," I said, yawning. "A hundred percent just because of weather."

"You should rest, you seemed ready to collapse during dinner," Riven said, turning towards me. I nodded slowly and closed my eyes, resting my head on my crossed arms.

"A nap won't hurt, I guess. Wake me up if you need anything," I said before letting my mind rest.

* * *

I groggily opened my eyes as I raised my head from my crossed arms, which were reddened by my head. I sat up slowly and raised the curtains slightly. It was dark, I slept probably well into the night.

'Why did I randomly get so tired...' I thought as I swung myself to the edge of the bed. I saw Riven, laying parallel to how I was. I lowered the curtains to not wake her, despite how cute she looked with beams of light hitting her.

I began to head to the kitchen after seeing Riven had fed the fish. I grabbed my phone on the way out, which read 2:49 a.m.

_'So glad I have another day off...'_

I slowly opened and closed the door. The house was quiet, as it should be at this time. Once I turned the small corner, I noticed something very out of place.

"What are you doing up?" Nicole asked. Her face was lit up by the laptop our mom used during the day, with a glass of chocolate milk besides her.

"I should be asking you that. You have school tomorrow," I asked, sitting beside her. She was watching some video on Youtube and pulled one of her headphones out.

"Couldn't sleep. You slept all day, are you okay?" Nicole asked, as I nodded.

"Yeah, are you?" I asked her as she looked at me with a weird face.

"You're the one acting weird lately," she began. "You haven't been home during a day off in months and then you break up with Angie? Why?"

"Oh, that. We're better off as friends... just felt rushed," I said, as her head turned towards her video.

"I see. Well, it's your choice," she said, as I grabbed her milk and began to drink it. Chocolate milk is the best although I used far more chocolate than my sister. "Are you depressed then?"

"Nah, just stressed. Don't grow up, it sucks," I said, leaning forward on the table. She smiled slightly.

"I know... what if I don't get in..." she asked, quietly. I shook my head. "I'm starting to get worried."

"You will. At least you're trying, I didn't. I could've done so much better if I had half of your attitude towards school," I began. I turned to her. "Tell you what, I'll help you on your portfolios. I still have some art left in me."

"I'll pass on the visual arts one... I've seen you draw, no offense," she said, as I laughed. I could barely draw a straight line.

"Yeah, yeah, shut it. Maybe Riven can help you with that but you can't deny how good at film I am," I said, as she nodded. "And music but you ended up sucking at that."

"I know... I probably was gonna ask for your help anyway, thanks," She said.

"Tell me what ideas you have and we can write a script. I'll ask Greg if we can borrow his camera, that'll give you an advantage," I said, smirking. "Getting the film crew together again."

"What randomly made you so generous... what's the catch?" She asked, squinting her eyes at me.

"Nothing, I can't be nice?" I asked, standing up. I put the empty cup on the table. "Okay, for the milk."

"Wha- you drank it all?!" She angrily asked. I began to walk away, waving at her.

"Go to bed before I tell dad you were talking to your boyfriend all night," I said, grinning devilishly.

"I-I don't have a boyfriend!" She said, as I reentered my room.

My room remained silent, only lit up by the tiny green light of my fish' heater and the TV input, which simply was a gray box that said no connection. I sat on the edge of the bed and turned on the game Riven had been playing.

I loaded my file, which was one in-game night away from the final boss fight. The sad music of the fated final day had been implanted in my head as I began to play the game I spent weeks enjoying; something I rarely experienced with video games anymore.

I fast forwarded through the dialogue as I began the boss fight, having seen dialogue many times. The final boss music seemed a bit out of place with how dark the mood was but it was just right to pump you up. I swear the first time I finished this game, I nearly cried at the ending. It was a masterpiece. I felt movement… Riven slowly sat up beside me.

"Sorry… I wanted to play this again," I said, as I lowered the controller. She shook her head.

"Keep playing. I'm just glad you're alright," She said, sitting beside me. I hesitated.

"Are you sure? This is the last fight… It'll spoil the ending," I said, thinking I could just turn it off after the fight. She smiled.

"Does the ending really matter? The journey is the most enjoyable part, isn't it?" Riven asked, as I stared at the dim screen. The main game is called the journey… she was right. I had known the ending to this game weeks before finishing it but it still ending up being one of my favorites.

"You're right about that," I said, continuing to slowly play. I could probably do this with my eyes closed by now, just twelve easy stages and one hard one. "I don't know why, I'm still tired. Things won't be getting any easier, I can't start getting weak now."

"I'd hardly say you're weakening. Anyone can feel tired once in a while," Riven said, grabbing my 2DS. "You really like this series."

"Hey, it's really good. What are you saying, you've been playing this for hours everyday," I responded, as she nodded.

"Yes, I also enjoy it. I... I have a question," Riven asked as I looked over at her.

"What's up?" I asked as she put the handheld down.

"Do I fit in here?" She asked, quietly. "And will... us... make things more difficult?"

"Stop worrying," I said, shaking her head playfully. "You fit in fine and if that does make things difficult, we'll handle it together."

"I was curious. Angie's family dines together but yours rarely does. I thought I had something to do with that,' Riven said, smiling slightly.

"No, my parents and I just work random hours sometimes. We used to all the time but when Nicole started school, my mother needed a job too," I said, continuing to play on auto pilot. "Angie's family makes more but they have one more kid than my family but we have you now. No wait, that's weird... dating a sibling would be weird."

"All families are different," Riven said, nodding. "Is my money helping?"

"I put our money together so it has. Whatever I have saved is both of ours," I said, nodding back. "Whenever I pay something, it helps."

"I'm glad. I don't want to be a burden to you," Riven said, as I moved myself to lay forward with her.

"You never will be, don't worry," I said, as she rested her head on my shoulder. I looked up at the game. It was the same scenario I usually got into. Two characters died, while the main character and the second fighter were left. The main character was enraged, so he was out of my control and would attack. The last part of this boss was heavily influenced by luck sometimes but I prevailed again. As long as no one with healing abilities was charmed by the boss, it couldn't heal itself to full health. I put the controller on the floor as I laid my own head down.

"Goodnight, Riven."

* * *

"Hey, wake up!"

"Wh- huh?" I groggily said, as Nicole stood next to me. She was holding her backpack and dressed for school, with her ID hanging around her neck.

"Please, I missed the bus. Can you give me a ride?" Nicole asked, as I nodded. I shook Riven awake slowly as I put my shoes on.

"Yeah, no problem. I'll make up an excuse if I need to," I said, as Riven quickly got up herself. She grabbed her boots as we rushed to the car. "What happened?"

"Dad couldn't drop me off at the stop and I left too late. I got there and everyone was gone," she said, as I locked the door behind us all.

"I'd call that the day off but if you insist," I said, jokingly. Riven quickly got in the back, taking Nicole's bag with her as I started the car. "Times like these where I'm lucky to have a car."

"Speaking of that, can you teach me to drive next year?" Nicole asked,as I jokingly shook my head.

"I want to keep the car for a good while," I said, jokingly. I looked back quickly; Riven had put the towel I had back there over the large sword. "Yeah, it's not hard. If Dad gets annoying about it, I will."

The school was pretty far for how early it was, it was about a 20 minute drive or a 45 minute slow bus ride. Nicole had gotten quiet and was laying her head against the window. It was almost seven in the morning and I was still feeling tired myself.

"How'd you sleep?" I asked as I yawned.

"Alright, you make a good pillow," Riven said, smiling. "How far is this place?"

"Like, from the house to the mall far. We're not that far now... not much traffic around this area," I said, as I continued driving. "Honestly, I'm surprised I remember the way. I always slept through the bus ride."

"You went to Nicole's school?" Riven asked as I nodded.

"Yep, I went for a different reason than her though," I said, as we stopped at a red light. The ocean of cars seemed endless... did something happen? Nicole slowly seemed to wake up.

"Are we there?" She asked, sitting forward.

"No, there's a jam," I said, as Riven sat forward.

"Riley, there's... something here," she quietly said as I sighed.

"Why now?" I asked to no one. Nicole turned to me. If a champion was nearby, she wouldn't remember anything... right?

"What do you mean somethings here?" She asked, nervously. I smiled at her.

"Don't worry about it, I have a great excuse if we're late," I said, as Riven anxiously looked around. Time seemed to stop itself as Nicole nervously looked around. "Stay calm. We'll handle this, alright?"

"What? What's going on?" She asked, grabbing my arm as I put the car on park. I opened the door and pulled my seat forward. Riven handed me the blue blade as her own hung on her waist. "Wh-What are those?"

"I promise I'll explain, just don't move from the car, no matter what," I said, as she nodded slowly. "Say it."

"I promise... Don't get in trouble," Nicole said, as I closed the door behind us.

We moved slowly into the center of the four way intersection we were at. Time was halted... like it usually was. Riven stood behind me, making me feel like a weakling as I struggled to hold the sword with one hand.

"Sense anything?" I asked. I could feel something but Riven normally had keener senses.

"Yes. There's nowhere to hide here, we must move," she said, grabbing my hand. She began taking me towards a sea of cars away from where we were. I saw something moving as Riven moved forward. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just worried about Nicole, she's stressed, she doesn't need this," I said, looking around. These cars had begun to drive, there were a few gaps here and there between them.

"She will be alright. We need to focus on this," Riven said, as I nodded.

"I'm focused, don't worry," I said, as she walked towards me. I saw something massive running behind her, I grabbed her arm. "Look out!"

A massive shadow dashed past us. As it slowed to a halt, it was easily recognizable. The creature moved forward, swinging his scythe as Riven moved forward and swung her sword against it. Hecarim moved away and began running towards me, gaining speed as he moved. I held the sword defensively as he made contact, knocking me back onto the ground. I quickly got up as Riven jumped onto the enemy, swinging her sword.

I moved forward and swung the sword, smashing it into Hecarim's armor. He swung the scythe again as I jumped back. Once he moved back towards me, Riven dashed forward and stunned the monster. It was almost unfair, Riven and I seemed completely in sync. The creature lowered itself as Riven held her sword towards it.

"Time for you to return to Valoran," Riven said, as I stepped forward.

"Very well," Hecarim said, grimly. I extended my arm forward as Riven grabbed me quickly, as I felt a sharp feeling on my back and fell onto my knees. Hecarim got back up and moved back into the sea of cars.

"Fuck, what was that?" I asked, looking around. My back was sore but my shirt protected my skin.

"Evelynn. I lost sight of her," Riven said, lifting me up. "Go hide, I can handle this."

"Yeah, right. I'm not afraid of Evelynn. Just stay with me," I said, as she nodded.

"You're stubborn, you know that?" She said, with a smirk. I nodded as we pressed our backs together. I felt her head move against mine as I struggled to breath steadily. I'd never admit it but I was in a ton of pain with a mix of tired.

"It's too early for this," I sighed, as Riven moved forward. She swung her arm and grabbed Evelynn by her spiked collar. Once I turned towards her, I noticed Hecarim rushing towards the two women.

"Look out!" I shouted, as I moved in between them, holding the sword defensively again. The creature collided with me and I pushed back, managing to stay on my feet this time. I saw Riven stand beside me and throw Evelynn forward, causing her to stumble onto the floor. She held her sword outwards.

"Return peacefully, or forcefully. It doesn't matter to us," Riven said, as Evelynn slowly stood up with a grin on her face.

"My, my. I never expected you to fall of a summoner, Riven, although you don't seem like one to follow rules," Evelynn said, as I remained quiet. Rules? What was she talking about?

"Shut up. None of that matters right now," Riven said, moving forward, infusing her blade with energy. "You two return now. End of story."

"If only it was that simple, dear…. now!" Evelynn said, as she extended her arms forward. Immense black spikes came up from the ground, giving me a rush of pain and a headache to boot. Once I stared up, Hecarim charged towards us, followed by a few spectral riders alongside him. Riven moved away quickly but I fell to the ground. My head was full of horrible images of…

"Riley, focus. I'm here," Riven said, as I felt my arm be pulled. I shook my head and nodded quickly, as Riven took off in a sprint towards Evelynn. She swung her large sword at the woman, who attempted to claw back. Riven dashed backwards as Hecarim charged towards her then jumped forward, stunning both of the enemy champions. "Riley!"

She swung her blade towards them, releasing her Wind Slash… towards me! I raised the sword in fear but felt no pain, only a gust of wind. I opened my eyes quickly to see the shards of green on the blue sword I held… I had captured the energy, in a way. I stepped forward and swung the blade, releasing the energy, sloppily. Both the champions and myself, fell onto the ground.

"Are you alright?" Riven asked, helping me back up. I nodded and extended my arm forward. The two champions were engulfed in a white light. I began to walk slowly as Riven held on to me. "Slow down, you're hurt."

"There's no way I'm waiting another red light," I said, with a grin.

* * *

The silent car ride towards Nicole's school went by quickly since we were almost there anyway. Of course, Nicole was conscious for the entire during and there was no way of getting around it; I had explained to her I would tell her tonight and that everything was fine. She stubbornly agreed as I parked the car. We were a few minutes late so I'll try to get her out of trouble. We walked towards the school together.

"I'm not gonna be able to focus today… you jerk," Nicole said, as I sighed.

"Shut up, I'll tell you tonight. I'm too tired right now," I said, as I pushed her. "If you miss the bus after school, you're walking."

We quickly entered the main office as I stepped up to the familiar woman at the desk. It was the same secretary from my school time here seven or so years ago. I grinned and walked up to the woman.

"Yo, Mrs. M, I'm dropping off this brat," I said, as she smiled at me.

"Oh, what a nice surprise. What happened? Nicole is usually never late," The woman said, as she made me sign some paper indicating I dropped her off, while handing her my license.

"Sorry, my fault. I didn't feel late," I said, as Nicole hit me. The secretary smiled and shook her head.

"That excuse still isn't going to work, Riley. Anyway, head to class, Nicole. Take this," the woman said, handing her an excused tardiness slip. Yeah right, that excuse always worked.

"I'll see you later, Nicole, go be a good student, like me," I said, as she sighed and headed towards her class. "I'll see you later miss, hopefully at Nicole's graduation."

"Alright, tell your mother I say hello," she said, with a wave.

As quickly as we entered, we were out and heading back towards the car. I sat inside and turned the car in, for the A/C as Riven sat beside me. She looked over at me.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Riven asked, as I nodded.

"Just tired. Hecarim's final attack made me see some scary shit too," I admitted. Images of Riven and Angie… I felt powerless. I closed my eyes for a second before feeling Riven kiss my cheek. "Oh, yeah. What was that about rules?"

"Champions and summoner relationships are frowned upon. It is not against the rules," Riven said, as I nodded.

"Well, let them frown. Let's go get breakfast somewhere, I'm hungry," I said, as Riven nodded.

"Is this a date?" Riven asked. I stared forward for a bit as I backed out of the parking spot then nodded.

"Yep," I said, smirking. "Although most dates don't involve fighting League champions."

"I suppose that's what makes us unique then," Riven said, chuckling.

"That's true. I wouldn't have it any other way."

_Except maybe take out the fear that you'll have to leave one day. It'd be nicer without that._


	17. The Will Of Information

**HERE IS THE FASTEST UPDATE I HAVE EVER DONE. I spoil you guys, literally. I'm such a good guy. Okay, maybe I've been procrastinating real life by writing more but hey, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.**

**Anyway, having a smartphone is so convenient, I can literally work on this anywhere now. I love it. Hope you guys enjoy this... and stop reviewing with stuff I'm literally gonna include soon : Jk plz review I lav reading them. **

**Enjoi!**

* * *

"Yo Alyssa, why is no one ever on time," I said, leaning against the window. She shook her head and sighed as I pretended to claw at the window. "Freeeeeedom."

"Seriously, I want to go home on time for once," she said, as Riven had already been replaced and was waiting for me. I had been avoiding eye contact with Angie to keep the atmosphere not tense. "Are you two fighting?"

"We kinda broke up. Trying to not be awkward, you know?" I said, as she nodded. We rarely talked but when we did, we were like each others life councilors.

"Oh, wow... and she just started here... good luck with that," she said, as the girl coming to replace her finally showed up. "Marie, where where you!"

"Well, I'm out, later," I said, heading to the front counter computer to clock out. I grabbed the small receipt and headed towards Riven, who was fumbling with my phone as she waited in our usual table. "Hey."

"Hello, are you ready?" Riven asked, as I nodded. She stood up and handed me my phone. She had been browsing the internet like she randomly did.

"Yep. Two more days till another day off," I said, stretching my arms.

"All you do is wait for days off, don't you?" Angie asked, walking over to us, shaking her head.

"Yeah, a working man needs his rest. Plus, I'm lazy," I said as she shook her head again.

"That you are. How is... your search going?" She asked, referring to the champions. I sighed.

"Alright... Nicole happened to get involved now. She was with us when we encountered two more," I said, as Angie looked stunned.

"S-Seriously? Seems anyone around you gets involved... is she going to be alright?" Angie asked, worriedly.

"Yeah, she's alright. We'll keep her safe," I said, crossing my arms. "At least you're safer now... I'd much rather not have any of you involved."

"Stop acting like some hero. If you need help, let me know. You said we're friends right?" She said, crossing her arms. "Or are you that anti-social?"

"I guess so. You need a ride or something? We're gonna start heading home," I asked, as she shook her head.

"Nope, just procrastinating school work," Angie said, walking backwards and waving. She sounded a bit annoyed. "See ya."

I gave her a small wave as Riven and I headed outside. We got into the car to escape the humid weather. I turned the car on and leaned back slightly.

"I'm starting to agree with you about this weather," Riven said. "These shirts do not help either."

"Yeah, it's hot. The coolest part of the year already passed," I told her as she nodded.

"That is disheartening," she said, sighing. "Is the weather really better farther north?" Riven asked me. I nodded.

"I've only went north once but the weather was fantastic. I loved it," I said. "I'll find an excuse to take you up to see one day."

"That would be nice," she said, as we neared the house. "Although you don't need to. I'll be alright."

"It's fine. It'll probably be a while anyway," I said, parking in my usual spot. I looked around for a few seconds. "All my family is here. Hey, wanna go somewhere for a bit?"

"Of course," Riven said as I grabbed her hand.

"Cool, let's go before it gets too dark," I said, as we began to walk quickly. I had a small smile which was amplified by who I was with.

* * *

After heading to a nearby Walgreens, I led Riven towards a small canal. I grabbed her hand as we crossed a small land bridge by a fence and began walking towards a playground.

"I used to do this all the time with an old friend," I said, opening the fence to the playground. It was nothing fancy, just a playground and two swing sets. I took a seat on one of the red picnic tables and opened the plastic bag. I pulled out two sodas and some random candy. "We'd just buy things then play on the swings."

"Have I met this friend?" Riven asked. I shook my head. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just didn't feel like going home yet. Here, this is good," I said, handing her a simple chocolate bar. She grabbed it as I looked up. "Glad things weren't weird with her though."

"Yeah, burning bridges isn't a way to live," Riven said. "I... I'm sorry to say this but I sense something."

"It's our priority anyway, don't worry," I said, standing up. It was pretty inconvenient but it was something we had to do. She grabbed my arm.

"It's... It's not a hostile champion. I remember this feeling. Remember when we faced Elise?" She asked. I nodded, still remembering the pain from her bites. "I met with a different champion that wasn't hostile. She's back and heading towards is."

"That's fine then," I began. "Who was it?"

"Irelia. We spoke briefly and then I had to rush to your aid. She seemed confused like everyone but maintained her calm composure," Riven said. I stood up and grabbed her arm. "Hmm?"

"Have you ever played on a swing when you were a kid?" I asked. She slowly shook her head.

"I don't remember much about my childhood," she said, quietly. I stood near the seat and sat on one, tilting my head towards the second one. "How does this work?"

"Sit and push yourself higher and higher. It's weird to explain but when you learn it, you'll never forget," I said, as I pushed myself off the ground. "Do what I do."

After a few seconds, Riven began to slowly swing. Once I began to go higher, she slowly did the same. It still amazed me how quickly she learned anything. We swung in silence for a few minutes, not going too high. The sky was bright orange, mixing with the dark clouds that probably meant rain soon. We slowly stopped, simply sitting on the swings.

"The weather took a turn for the better. Pre-rain is pretty nice," I said, as Riven nodded. "Let's just not get caught in the rain."

"The sky here is beautiful," Riven said. "It's rare to see such a pretty sight in Valoran when you don't travel much."

"I don't know, I see a beautiful sight from Valoran right beside me," I said, smiling. Riven stared at me quietly.

"I-... sorry. It's still a new feeling. Everything happened pretty quickly, I mean it's only been a few months," Riven said, smiling and staring at the floor. "Hearing that caught me off guard worst than any gank."

"Yeah. Never in a million years did I think any of this would happen. I know it was pretty quick but... It's gotta mean something, right?" I asked, as Riven stood up and walked towards me. She embraced me, as she held my head against her stomach.

"Thank you for everything. My biggest fear was being a burden to you," she said, as I smirked.

"That should be the least of your worries," I said, as I slowly stood up. I stared at the road as nothing passed for almost an hour. Not much was around this but this playground. "Normally, I hate feeling nostalgic but being here makes me miss my friend. I rarely see him anymore."

"Why?" Riven asked. I shrugged.

"I get upset thinking of my old mistakes. I hate that, I know that but still can't stop getting upset at the tiniest things," I said as Riven nodded.

"Just know all of that made you the person you are now... and I... That person is very dear to me," Riven said. I nodded with a grin.

"Let's go home, I'm craving some real food," I said, as Riven nodded.

"Do... your parents dislike me living there?" She asked quietly as we began to walked. I grabbed our bags as we passed the small table.

"My parents trust me so they knew you weren't a bad person. Honestly, my mom probably loves you since you clean my room and the kitchen randomly. My dad just wants me to have a good future, that's kinda a reason why I took the manager job," I said, as Riven grabbed my arm. I turned slightly, feeling... watched. "Do you still sense anything?"

"Yes. Irelia is still near. She mentioned something about looking for someone before being ready to leave," Riven explained. I drew a blank... who could she be looking for... Karma? Yi?

"If you say she seemed peaceful, that's alright then... I just felt like someone was watching us," I said, as we moved through the small hole in the fence in my neighborhood. Most convenient thing ever for my high school days.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you," she said, as I sighed.

"That's my line!"

* * *

"I... maybe there's a reason I work drive thru and not with food," I said, as I picked the small pieces of eggshell out of the bowl.

"Why do you only use one hand?" Riven asked as I shrugged.

"N-no reason... Just habit," I said, beating the single egg yolk with a fork. Definitely not from a Disney channel movie, nope. "How's the ham?"

"It is ready. I am waiting for the shells to defrost," she said, as Nicole walked by. She immediately walked over and grabbed some ham.

"Hey, brat. Go away," I said, glaring at her. She patted my back with forced, making me cringe in pain. "S- I hate you."

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up, I'm hungry," she said. My parents ended up leaving us alone for dinner and left me ingredients for a simple dish I knew how to make.

"We're almost ready. Just need the discs to defrost," I said, as she sat at the table.

"Riven, has my brother been rude to you? You can hit him, you know," Nicole said as Riven chuckled slightly.

"You are the third person to tell me that," Riven said. "Don't worry, he's a good guy."

"Sometimes... when he's not being a dork," Nicole said. I moved over to the sink and grabbed the thawed, flour discs. Her tone darkened slightly. "Jamie says Angie seems really down lately. I wish you two would've worked things out..."

"Hey, finding the right person can be hard. It was just too rushed. She felt like another sister. You'll find a boyfriend one day, don't worry," I said, as she crossed her arms and turned away. I quickly kissed Riven's cheek, making her smile slightly. This was unreal; a woman came out of my computer along with like, 130 others, I get magic powers, and now she was my girlfriend.

"Anyway, be nice to her. She thinks she did something wrong you aren't telling her," Nicole said, beginning to walk to get room. "Get me when it's ready, I have homework to finish."

"Yeah, go do your homework," I said, as Riven began to separate the ham and shredded cheese. "This its easy, just put a bit of both in one of these then fold the edges. I'll get the fryer ready."

"I wonder if Angie is alright... She seemed annoyed when we were leaving," Riven as I grabbed the ones she prepared and tossed them in the oil.

"She just needs time to calm down. You know she's moody when she wants to be," I said, holding the floating dough down. Riven nodded.

"Maybe that is for the best... Are these coming out alright?" She asked, as I nodded.

"Yeah, perfect."

* * *

A few hours later, we found ourselves outside, under an umbrella as we headed towards the playground. Riven had asked me to follow her and I agreed, knowing I would be alright. Under my hoodie, I strapped the blue blade to my back, as Riven instructed.

"So... why are we going to the playground?" I asked as Riven looked at me.

"Irelia wishes to speak with us," Riven said, as I nodded. Things didn't seem to surprise me when Riven said them, I knew to trust her. "You don't seem surprised."

"I'm not. I don't think you'd ever intentionally drag me into something dangerous," I said, as the light rain continued to fall. She nodded.

"If anything happens, I'll protect you," Riven said, as I hugged her with my free arm.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I said, as we slowed to a halt near the gated playground. The benches were covered in water, leaving us to stand as we waited for the Ionian woman. "Greg agreed to lend us his film stuff and to help. Nicole is in, for sure."

"It is nice of you to help her. I'm interested to see how that works," Riven said, resting her body slightly against mine. "You said your old school specialized in that? Why don't you make it a career?"

"It takes money to buy that kinda stuff. It's kind of a gamble. Our job isn't very luxurious but it works for now," I said as she looked at me. "The couple of friends I had in my film classes and I were considered among the best at filming comedic things. I never liked being too serious. I never win any awards our got nominated for anything but I had fun."

"I don't mean to pry but why do you say you have financial issues? You seem alright," Riven asked as I nodded.

"Well, negativity won't help at all. My mom was... very sick a few years ago. The hospital bills were... massive. It was either that or return to where I was born," I began, smirking towards the end. "It was my stubbornness and crying that ended up with then staying. We live comfortably but not comfortably enough to spend too much extra. I've been putting money aside for almost three years now for Nicole's college fund."

"Really? That is nice of you," Riven said, nodding slowly. She seemed tired.

"She was born here so I've always pushed her to do good in school. The better you do, the cheaper college is," I added. "Hopefully she becomes a doctor or something and gets a bunch of money so we can retire early and mooch off her."

"We?..." Riven said, looking at me. I looked away slightly.

"S-sorry, that was a weird thing to say," I said as she shook her head.

"Don't be, that sounds nice," Riven said, as she flinched slightly. Her hand stopped as it headed for her waist. "You're here."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Riven, Summoner," Irelia said, appearing as if from nowhere. She moved into my sight as I followed her with my eyes.

"It's alright, I was starting to get worried," I said as she nodded.

"Thank you for the concern but I can handle myself pretty well... anyway, the reason I asked you to meet me here," Irelia said, crossing her arms. "After what Riven told me about you and what has been happening, I had a chance to think about something you surely also thought of. You can't be the only person with these powers."

"Probably not but I stopped thinking of that when my two friends that were with me hadn't been affected. What made you want to talk about that all of a sudden?" I asked, as I looked around. The cool wind continued to blow, I was looking around for the random police guy that randomly patrolled the streets.

"Sending champions back won't solve anything if they return. What's stopping it from happening again? Surely you've thought of this?" Irelia asked, looking at me.

"Honestly, no. I've been more concerned with the safety of Riven and my friends and family," I said, looking at Riven.

"We need you to cooperate with us then," Riven said, as the woman looked around herself.

"I have my own people to protect. I won't ignore your question but it is better if we work separately. Also be careful... What's stopping a champion from forming a bond with a summoner?" Irelia said, as I nodded.

"We'll be fine. Thank you for your concern Irelia, let us know if you ever need anything," I said, as she stepped forward. She bowed slightly and extended her hand, which I shook slowly.

"Be cautious Riley, Riven," Irelia said, turning away and beginning to run away from our sight. I stared at Riven.

"That was... interesting," I exclaimed, still a bit confused. She nodded.

"She brings up a good point. We should not drop our guard," Riven said, as she grabbed my arm. "Let's go home."

"Yeah, I'm exhausted, I need this day off."

I looked around the quiet, dark neighborhood as we walked back towards the house. I had always been afraid of walking around at night until I was about 17 but now I found it peaceful. I sighed to myself, quietly as Riven held onto my arm. Irelia's words remained in my head now and, honestly, I was kinda worried I never thought about it. Someone else like me? Someone bonding with a champion like I had? Stopping champions from returning to this world? Things were getting more complicated than I had thought and that brought a sly smirk to my face.


	18. Endless Black Eyes

**Hello everyone, here is another strangely quick chapter from me. You can thank the convenience of smartphones and me finally entering this decade for these constant updates but... it resulted in this story's first cliffhanger chapter because I'm a horrible person. Hope every is doing good, enjoy!**

* * *

The worst feeling during a day off, from school or work, was happening to me. I slowly opened my eyes and grabbed my phone before dropping it back onto the nightstand.

"It's eight in the morning... why am I awake," I said, slowly sitting up. Once I was awake, there was usually no falling back asleep, which never happened before work. I slowly got up and moved to my computer chair as Riven sat up as well. "Sorry if I woke you up."

"It's alright, I was awake but didn't want to bother you," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Has anything changed?"

"Nope, nothing new," I said, as I turned towards her on my chair. "At least this happened after Worlds."

"Are we doing anything today?" Riven asked, standing up. She rested against my chair.

"No idea, anything you want to do?" I asked. She looked around.

"We should ask Angie to hang out. I am worried about her," Riven said, as I nodded slowly. It was honestly not on my top five things to do but it would be a nice thing. She was a friend, after all.

"Alright," I said. "Maybe Nicole wants to go too."

"I would like us to play that game together again," she said, as I grabbed my phone. I assumed she meant Smash Bros, a game I hadn't played in a while but I figured I could still do good.

"Alright but I won't go easy on you guys this time."

* * *

"Hey! Come in, come in," Angie said, eagerly moving aside. Nicole and Riven walked inside first as I followed them. "This'll probably be more fun than what I originally was gonna do."

"Ignore your piles of homework?" I asked as she shook her head.

"Nope! No piles since it's all online!" Angie said, laughing awkwardly. She lowered her head. "I'll do it all eventually... I just need a break for a few hours."

"Yeah, same. I needed this day off," I said, as we sat on the couch. Nicole stood behind the couch as she waited for Jamie. "Working hard isn't my thing."

"Yeah, right. All you do is take orders and complain, real management material," Angie as we sat down. I yawned as Angie threw a controller on my lap, making me flinch hard. She laughed.

"Real mature, Jessica," I retorted, as she glared at me.

"That's it. You're going down. I've been practicing," Angie said, turning the system on. I shrugged.

"Yeah, like that'll help at all," I said, as Riven grabbed her own controller. I looked over at Nicole. "You wanna play?" I asked, as I extended the controller towards her.

She nodded as I handed her a controller and she sat beside me and Riven. Angie threw another one, landing very close to a place guys wouldn't want someone being throw at. That didn't worry me, she did the exact thing whenever we played.

"Jamie went to the store with my mom, she'll be back in a little," Angie said, sitting beside my sister. She turned the system on and everyone picked their characters as we decided on a free for all to start. During the loading screen, the silence was broken. "So… are you okay?"

"Why do you ask randomly?" Nicole asked, as the question was clearly directed to her. Angie looked at her then at me silently. "Oh. That… yeah. I mean… I can't do anything but trust him, right?"

"It doesn't matter who is involved. Just let us handle it," I said, as Riven nodded. Angie scuffed and sat forward.

"You're still such an idiot! Are you having fun playing the hero or something? This isn't a game," Angie said, as I sat back to avoid her look.

"We already fought about this. I'm not doing it again," I said, as the game began.

Riven had chosen Lucina, Nicole got Zelda, Angie picked Zero Suit Samus, and I picked Jigglypuff. I definitely felt targeted by a certain someone. I spent most of my time moving away as Nicole and Riven fought. This wasn't fun, Angie was legitimately pissed at me and I knew how to end that… well, my boredom, at least.

"What the hell!?" Angie shouted, as I landed on Samus and rested, knocking her out into the skies, which was pretty much the only reason I ended up playing Jigglypuff a lot. "I hate when you do that!"

"Yeah," I said, sarcastically. "Stop being annoying, it's just a game, remember?"

"Whatever, I hope… nevermind," Angie said, sitting forward again. Bang, bang.

"Please don't fight with her," Riven said, quietly. I sighed and nodded.

'_This is just miserable...'_ I thought to myself, as even Nicole seemed to feel extremely awkward.

I stopped running, I began to purposely miss my attacks and blocks when anyone attacked and, before I knew it, I was the first person eliminated. I stood up and began to head for the door.

"I need to make a phone call," I said, quickly exiting before anyone said anything.

* * *

I held my phone as I rested again the car, sighing to myself.

"What a day off… I get three a week and here I am," I said, to myself. As I scrolled through random apps on my phone, I saw a car pull into the driveway. "Perfect…"

"Oh… Riley. Strange to see you so suddenly, how have you been?" Angie's mother asked, awkwardly as her and Jamie got out of the car.

"Alright. Angie invited us over," I said, as I walked over to her car. She opened the backdoor and I grabbed a few of the plastic bags. "I'll help, I needed to call my dad for something so I just came out here."

"Well, thank you. Are you staying for dinner?" She asked, as she grabbed her own few bags. Jamie did the same, she didn't say much but then again, she never really talked much to me.

"Probably not but thanks," I said, as she led the way into the house.

"Oh, you guys are home quick," Angie said, as I put the bags on the kitchen counter. My arm had the imprints of the bags… I didn't make second trips until I lost my arm. I sat back down in my spot as the match had seemingly ended a bit ago. Riven leaned towards me slightly.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, as I nodded. Nicole got up and headed off with Jamie into her room, leaving us three on the couch. "How have you been?"

"Alright, just school and work," Angie said, sighing. "Being an adult sucks, huh?"

"Yeah, they don't know how good they have it," I said, after realizing she asked me that. "I hope they both get in. Everyone that didn't get in was so depressed, even for middle schoolers."

"Seriously? I doubt they won't, they're both talented," Angie said, standing up. "Jamie said you're going to help Nicole. Isn't that cheating?"

"Nah, I'm just helping with the equipment and providing what she needs, she's gonna be in charge," I said, crossing my arms. "All she needs is time and I'm the best at that."

"That's true. Are you staying for dinner?" Angie asked me, as I shook my head.

"No, we have dinner plans with my parents tonight," I said, as Riven remained quiet.

"I'm sorry I was being... a jerk... I am worried about you still, you idiot," she began, crossing her own arms. "I know you and Riven are strong but what's stopping weird shit from happening?"

"I think the worst already happened," I began as I fiddled around with the game menus. "I just didn't want to worry Nicole more than she is now. She's thirteen, she doesn't need to worry about her brother, just school."

"That's true, I'd hate if I were in the same position with Jamie," Angie said, as we began playing again. She moved toward the kitchen, seemingly to grab glasses.

"At least everything is alright, she is just worried," Riven said as I nodded.

"Yeah, still gets pissed off over tiny things," I said, smirking. I leaned forward quickly, feeling a bottle of water fall in Angie's favorite place to throw things. "I- I hate you."

* * *

I sat outside, on the swingset by my house. Angie had asked to meet with me, alone. I hesitated at first but it seemed like a good thing to do. Riven agreed and I went. I had been waiting for almost ten minutes.

I saw a figure walk towards me from the darkness. As it walked towards the streetlights, I recognized the girl. I stood up as Angie walked up to me.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked as she stopped a bit away from me. I was very curious why she randomly asked to meet with me. She seemed fine a few days ago. She looked like she was confused.

"Hey, any idea why I asked you to meet me?" She asked, as I shook my head.

"Not really. It seemed out of nowhere," I said, as she crossed her arms. She looked at me angrily.

"You wouldn't. So tell me why?" Angie said, looking up at me. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing. I already told you," I said, looking around. Great... the dreaded conversation.

"That's such a vague bullshit reason. There's obviously something else you don't want to say," Angie said, angrily. "Just say it."

"I'm serious, I didn't have a girlfriend for years for a reason, I'm not lying to you," I said, as she stepped closer.

"I spent days just thinking of what I did wrong without a word from you. Is that what I deserved after trying to be a good girlfriend?" She said, angrily. she laughed a little. "I suppose it doesn't matter anyways. You're happy now and that's what a friend would want, right?"

"Hey, I'm your friend too, just relax," I said, in an attempt to calm her down. "Why don't you believe me?"

"Why should I? It probably isn't even true," she said, smirking. She pushed me, knocking me to the ground. I stared up at her, I wasn't expecting that at all.

"What's your problem?" I said, as I stood up slowly. No cars had passed for a while and no one had walked by... what was going on? Why now? "Angie, there's a champion here, let's go."

"I don't think so. Maybe we should stay right here. You'll protect me? Right?" Angie said, walking backwards slowly. A figure appeared behind her. "Or maybe I should be protected from you? You've hurt me more than these things have."

"Angie, what are you talking about! Listen to yourself!" I shouted, angrily.

"Shut up Riley! You know damn well you're lying to my face... what a friend you are," Angie said. Her eyes began to water; she quickly wiped the tears away as she crossed her arms again. "I don't care. I wish I could go back to before I even met you... things would be so much easier."

I looked around... Riven surely felt this but I was alone right now, without any protection aside from my words, which I had to choose very carefully.

"Maybe it would but we both can't. I know you don't mean that..." Angie said, as a woman stepped forward, holding a staff as tall as she was. I recognized her; the deceiver, LeBlanc. 'She probably had something to do with this...'

"The world sucks, Riley. We both agreed on that today, didn't we? This... champion approached me when I was alone, with thoughts of you and offered to help..." Angie said, laughing. She seemed... completely insane right now.

"Fine, do whatever you want to me. Whatever'll bring my friend back," I said, stepping forward. I gulped... thus was gonna hurt.

"I want her here. I want her to fight as well," Angie said, maniacally. She fell onto her knees laughing. "That stupid bitch that caused all of this!"

I gripped my fists tightly, I knew she was probably being manipulated but that still stung a bit. I stepped back a bit... I was apparently safe but I still didn't trust the two. Angie giggled as she stood up. She extended her arm forward.

"Let's give him a little sneak peak, shall we? LeBlanc, go!" Angie said, as the woman nodded with a smirk.

"Whatever you command... summoner," LeBlanc said, as I raised my arms slightly. The woman dashed forward and disappeared. I looked around, as nothing moved.

"Angie, stop this. You don't want to do this," I said, as she smirked.

"How do you know that? You read minds now? Maybe you should try a bit harder then, this is exactly what I want," Angie said, as LeBlanc appeared and I felt a sharp pain as she vanished. Angie laughed. "That's priceless. She didn't touch you and you're squirming like a baby!"

"That's enough," a voice said, as I held my head with one arm. I recognized the voice.

"Irelia, what are you doing here? Is Riven okay?" I asked, as she nodded, standing near me. Her blades floated around her as she stood ready to fight.

"I'm sure she is on the way but you wouldn't survive that long. Just stay behind me while you try and talk some sense into this girl," Irelia said, as I nodded. The pain finally became more tolerable as I stepped forward.

"Another woman, huh? You seem to be quite the player. Couldn't have me tying you down, is that it?" Angie asked as she stepped back. I began to rush towards her.

Once I nearly closed the gap between us, LeBlanc appeared between us. Irelia rushed to my side and lunged her blades towards her. Just as quickly as they came, their fight moved elsewhere. Angie was stepping backwards as I continued towards her. Her malicious grin remained the entire time.

"Again letting a woman fight your battles, what a man you are," Angie said as I grabbed her arm. I pulled myself towards her. "Miss me already?"

"Angie, for once, just shut up," I said, as I stared at her closely. Her eyes looked as if she was looking a million miles away, just pools of black with no brown in sight. "Just snap out of it! You're not like this..."

"Let go of me. You don't want me anyway, just go away," Angie said, as she struggled to free her arm. I held on tightly.

"Just listen to me. I know you can, you're in there somewhere," I said, smiling. "That hard headed girl I'm glad I finally got to meet."

"W-what?" Angie said, looking down. I loosened my grip and she moved away quickly. "N-no! Help me!"

I felt a sharp pain hit me as I turned around. I saw the woman, covered in cuts from Irelia, holding her staff outwards. A yellow chain covered Irelia and a purple one ended by me, which quickly materialized into solid, tight chains.

"My, I had expected a challenge," LeBlanc said, laughing cockily. She began to move towards me as I struggled to move.

_'R-Riven... I'm sorry. I let my guard down.'_

"Shut up and die, Riley!"


	19. Seriously? Today kinda sucks

**I couldn't spoil you guys with weekly updates. Here is chapter 19. **

**Aside from the usual things, I can finally say I'm starting to enjoy League again. I've been playing a mean Riven mid lately and, whenever my ping decides to bless me, have been going wild.**

* * *

Was it possible for time to stop where time had already stopped? That's what this moment seemed like. My former girlfriend stood a few feet in front of me, seemingly possessed as I was tied with purple chains from LeBlanc, who also held Irelia from another set chains. I began to felt the chains tightening as Irelia continued to fight the chains.

"Whatever you want, summoner," LeBlanc said, grimly. I tilted my head back the best I could towards the mage.

"Why are you doing this? This isn't your world," I said, as the chains tightened.

"If everyone is as easy to manipulate as this girl, what's stopping it from becoming my world?" LeBlanc said, moving besides me. "A powerless human with a little companion?"

"Like hell you'll succeed. I'll stop you," I said, as I tried to move my fingers. The woman laughed and touched my face.

"I can see why this girl fell so hard for you. You're kind of cute when you act the hero," LeBlanc said, as she dashed backwards quickly. "W-What?"

As if from above, the blue sword landed in front of me, breaking the chains that quickly vanished. I stumbled to the ground to grab the sword as Riven landed beside me, slicing the yellow chain and releasing Irelia. Irelia thanked her as she stretched her arms. She lowered her blades.

"You're here, good. I'll take my leave now, I leave this in your hands," Irelia said, as she quickly took off. I went to speak to her but she vanished just like that. That was... odd. Why would she just leave like that?

"Sorry I'm late... I should've never left your side," Riven said, as she raised her blade. I shook my head.

"It's fine, just focus with me. Angie is in trouble," I said, as Riven nodded. "By the way, nice aim."

"I disagree, I missed her," she said, with a sly smirk. "Just focus on rescuing Angie, I'll handle her."

"Alright, go."

We split up as Riven rushed the woman, who seemed to vanish towards the larger, plastic playground, leaving me alone with Angie, who now looked terrified.

"Stay away... I hate you," She said, shakily.

"No you don't, you're being manipulated, just try and remember," I said, as I stepped forward. She stepped back more.

"Manipulated? Is that what you think? Those are her inner thoughts... she just needed a bit of... help... expressing them," LeBlanc's voice said, seemingly inside my head.

"Stay out of this!" Riven said, followed by sounds of fighting. I moved closer as Angie's back was against the playground. She was shaking. I extended my arm. Her face began to glisten as tears began to fall.

"Why don't you love me... I- I tried so hard..." Angie said, lowering her head. Tears began to fall onto the rubber floor. She slowly grabbed my hand. "The first guy I ever dated..."

"It's not fair to you if I kept acting how I did. I'm sorry but you don't deserve that," I said, as she shook her head.

"She... why her..." Angie said, falling down to her knees. Her head bolted up. "L-Look out!"

I jumped the the left and stabbed towards the right as the mage dashed towards me. I caught her staff in between the broken sword and, when I realized that , quickly pushed her away with my leg. Riven moved quickly and restrained her.

"I never liked you and now I finally have a good reason to," I said, as LeBlanc smirked.

"I suppose you fought well... but you very well there are stronger mages than I loose within this world than me," LeBlanc said, laughing. "I was just trying to enjoy myself just like your pet here... although in very different ways."

"Shut up. Just go home," I said, extending my arm forward. She nodded, with a smile. Riven released her and she crossed her arms.

"Don't count on her forgetting any of this."

* * *

Everything after LeBlanc went back to Valoran seemed like a blur. A blur I remembered vividly but couldn't believe. Angie passed out and seemed to not be breathing so I called her parents while Riven called for an ambulance with Angie's phone. I let them know where she was and sent Riven back home with the blue blade while I waited for the paramedics.

About a half hour later, Riven and I sat in the lobby of the closest hospital with Jamie as her parents were speaking with the doctor inside the room. Jamie remained quietly playing on her phone as I crossed my arms.

"Damn it, we couldn't do anything. This is my fault..." I said, quiet enough for only Riven to hear.

"We had no control over what happened. We did the best we could," Riven said, as I shook my head slowly. "Don't blame yourself, you did what you thought was best."

"Yeah... but was it the best choice?" I asked, quietly. My head turned towards the door as Angie's dad came out. Jamie immediately spoke up.

"How is she?" She asked as he sighed.

"She's alright. The doctors don't know exactly what could've happened so they're gonna run some tests over night, she's gonna stay here for now," he said, I stood up as he walked towards me "I can't thank you enough for helping her. She's alright now but who knows what'd happen if it was ignored."

"Thanks sir. I'll let work know and offer to fill in for her where we could," I said as he nodded slowly. He was intimidating... I wonder what would happen after Angie recovered. Was our friendship salvageable?

"I'll keep you updated if we find anything out. It's past visiting hours so we need to start heading out," the man said, as I nodded. The man extended his hand and I slowly shook it. "You're a good friend to her. I hope everything is alright."

Riven stood up and I began to walk. I gave a weak wave as we left the place. There wasn't anything else to say, I needed to sleep.

* * *

I raised my head slowly as I was woken up. I groggily rubbed my eyes as Riven looked down at me before sitting across from me. I yawned and looked around.

"Finally done?" I asked, as Riven nodded. She looked concerned.

"How are you doing? You barely slept," she asked as I put on a smile.

"Please, this is nothing. You should've seen me when I was in school," I joked as I got up. We had been at the hospital till almost eleven and I came into work at eight to do Angie's work and talk to the managers. I was very tired but my habits of staying up till two in the morning didn't help my cause. "Nicole is staying the night at Angie's and my parents are going out so we're on our own for dinner... want to go out somewhere?"

"Like here?" She asked as I shook my head.

"Somewhere nice. It'll be like a date," I said, smiling. "Angie can't have visitors yet... I need a distraction right now. I can't stop blaming myself."

"Of course. That sounds great," she said, as I grabbed her hand and we walked outside. I heard a manager say something but I was in my own world at the moment. Technically... this would be the first date... I was starting to make myself nervous.

* * *

"Two? Alright, follow me right this way."

We followed the younger girl towards a booth for two. I liked these the best. The girl handed us two menus.

"Your waitress will be right with you. Can I get you two something to drink?" The girl said as I nodded.

"Two cokes please," I said as the woman nodded and I looked around. "I love these kind of places."

"This place is very beautiful. Thank you for bringing me here," she said, looking outside. "I want to see the most of this world as I can... everything is so drastically different."

"I bet. I'll think of more places we can go to. We can go places when we're working on Nicole's project or when Angie gets better," I said, as she nodded happily.

It was a strange sight to see Riven without her comfortable clothing. We both wore a set of work pants, which I suggested, and she only had shirts. I gave her a light, striped jacket to wear over since these places could get chilly. I saw two cups be placed on the table as my head tilted up. I blinked a few times. The waitress wasn't looking at the moment as she reached for the second drink.

"Hello, my name is Justine and I'll be your waitre-," the girl said, stopping as she saw me. I gave a weak wave. "Riley? Riven? How are you guys?"

"Hey, I didn't know you worked here too... how've you been? I haven't worked with you in so long," I said, as she nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, I took one day off there so I could work here too," she said, putting her hands together. "Are you guys ready or do you need a minute?"

"Oh, we didn't even look at the menu yet..." I said, as she jokingly shook her head. "Hey, don't give me that. I'm technically your boss now."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll come back in a few minutes alright?" She said, with a smirk. Riven's eyes followed her.

"What a coincidence, I barely recognized her," I said, as Riven nodded.

"Why does she work here also?" She asked me.

"Two jobs means more money. Some people need or want more than others," I said, taking a sip of my drink. "I was probably gonna get a second job but with the manager thing, I can't."

"I see. If you need me too, please just say so," Riven said, as I shook my head.

"No, don't worry. We're alright... money can't buy happiness, after all," I began. She looked confused. "Means I'd rather lay around playing video games with you."

"I would not be opposed to that either," she said, smiling. I looked away a bit and opened the menu in front of her. Booyah, I still could charm the ladies... I think.

"You can get whatever you want. I usually get a pasta with chicken but that's just like, two of my favorite foods combined," I said as she scanned the menu.

I looked around and couldn't help but think of Angie. LeBlanc said she would remember everything and these were here suppressed feelings, what was I going to do? Was this friendship salvageable or should I try to forget about it? I suppose there was no use thinking about it until we could visit her in the next few days.

"You're worried about her too, aren't you?" Riven said, as I snapped back to reality. I nodded.

"I hope she's alright. I have no idea how she could be feeling… Sorry, this was supposed to be us time," I said as she shook her head.

"I am worried as well. I don't understand most of this... I will have whatever you are having," Riven said, placing the menu down. I nodded with a grin.

"Sweet, that means I can order two different things, you're the best," I said, as she laughed quietly. "Although I'm not super hungry... I'll probably end up taking most of it home."

"I don't think I've seen you admit that," she said, as Justine came back with a smile.

"Isn't it against the rules to date co-workers, Mr. Riley?" She said, with a smirk. I cringed.

"Ugh, that sounds so weird. Never call me that again," I said, as she laughed slightly. "I'm too young to be a mister."

"I won't, that sounded super weird... nice change of subject thought, what will you be having tonight?" She said formally, as another employee walked past her.

"At least you have a second job so I won't feel horrible when I fire you..."

The girl laughed until the second employee was gone before smacking me quickly on the arm.

* * *

The food had arrived pretty quickly and I stared at both. This is what Heaven was to me; pasta and breadsticks. Riven stared at me as Justine came by again and asked if everything was alright, like a typical waitress.

"Yeah, like you're gonna get a tip from me," I said, jokingly. She gazed at me.

"You're the worst," Justine said. She turned to Riven. "No idea how you can put up with him."

"We've spend a lot of time together... he makes me very happy," Riven said, as Justine smirked and I looked away from her. "Was that a weird thing to say?"

"No, that was so adorable," Justine said giggling while looking around. "I'll leave you two alone. I gotta pretend to work."

"Heh, looks like you did learn a few things from me," I said, giving her a thumbs up. I looked back at Riven. "I think this might start a few rumors."

"What do you mean?" Riven asked.

"A while ago we had a couple that worked there that were so distracted by each other. Since then employee relationships are really frowned upon," I said, crossing my arms. "They were really young and dumb but I doubt people won't be annoying. Let them be, I like how this is going."

"I want to know more about you," Riven said, as she fiddled with her fork. "I want to be closer to you."

"Alright... what do you want to know? Narrow it down," I asked.

"It's not fair of me to ask but... please tell me about your childhood," she asked as I nodded.

"Well, I was born and raised in another country. We weren't rich there either but we always lived comfortably. We came here when I was eight because my parents said our lives would get better here," I said, sipping on my drink as I paused. "I learned the language very fast but not fast enough to stop people from making fun of me. It was little kid insults but it kinda stung at the time... doesn't really matter now, I'm probably the best English speaker out of all of them."

Riven nodded in silence; I continued speaking.

"It sucked that Nicole wasn't born here. One more year and she could've ended up a citizen here... I'd still rather have her be successful, I'll be alright. I was a better student the younger I was but I never liked homework. I spent my time playing video games and on the computer," I said, chuckling near the end. "Pretty average kid, I think."

"I... I wish I had anything like that to tell you. I never really had anyone to open up to... I don't know what to really say. I'm sorry," She said, hanging her head slightly. I reached over and grabbed her hand.

"It's fine. Things are great the way they are right now... I'm really glad to have met you. My life was so boring before... I worked, slept, played games and repeat. Now I feel like showing you the world is more important than any of that," I said, as she stared up at me.

"I suppose I was the same way. Everyday I just fought for random, petty political arguments. Do you really mean that?" She asked, quieting near the end.

"Of course... just slowly. We still don't have that kind of money," I said, as she nodded with a smile. Her face changed as she shoved me back.

"Look out!"

Something flew past me. I looked around and everyone was frozen, enjoying their dinner. I turned towards my left and saw a shuriken stuck to the wall... wonder which champions that could be...

"Let's go," I said, as Riven nodded. We ran towards the parking lot. I felt a bit guilty like I was running away without paying. Riven's sword appeared in her arms as she looked around. I opened the trunk of my car and grabbed the matching blue sword. "I'd be alot more convenient if this vanished and came like yours did..."

"Just defend yourself until we know where he is," Riven said, as I nodded. By the looks of the shuriken, it was most likely Zed. I've seen what Zed can do to poor carries and I was probably just as squishy.

"Yeah, you too. Let's make this quick, I like those breadsticks warm," I said as we began to walk around. "I've been thinking about what Irelia said. What if others are like Angie?"

"That could be. We simply have to still defeat the champion and restrain the person," Riven said. She began to speak louder. "This world is not our world. Just return peacefully."

A black object flew through the air as Riven moved aside. It was another ninja star. I nodded.

"Well, there's our answer," I said, as Riven moved besides me.

The darker parking lot seemed advantageous for the ninja, as Riven and I headed towards the few streetlights. I saw movement as I kept my guard up, Riven's left hand grabbed my arm.

"Whichever one he targets needs to run. His death mark will fade quickly," Riven said, as I nodded. "I have the means to deal with him when the time comes."

"I know you do. You're the best," I said, smirking. She turned her head away quickly.

"N- Please, I need to focus," she said, quietly. Riven's weakness in battle was compliments? Or did I manage to learn Ahri's Charm ability somehow.

The Ionian Ninja emerged from the shadows. His blades and shurikens shone in the bright light. He pointed his arm towards one of us.

"You. Return peacefully or we'll have to use force," Riven shouted, pointing her blade towards him. He shook his head.

"I don't think so. Just try and stop me," Zed said, as he vanished back into the shadows.

I looked around as Riven continued to hold my arm. She looked around as well but, when she moved a few steps away, I felt a presence behind me. Riven pulled me towards me.

"Look out!" Riven exclaimed as I narrowly avoided meeting the sharp end of a blade. I heavily swung my arm back as the man vanished, leaving behind a shadow that my blade sliced through. "We have to look now, he's more vulnerable without his shadows."

"Right," I said, nodding, as Riven pulled me towards the shadows and the only direction Zed could've went.

As we left the comforting light, I felt uneasy. The halted time and, I guessed, Zed's powers seemed to make the darkness more exaggerated. I didn't think going into the darkness was the best idea but we couldn't just wait for a shuriken to hit us. We stopped after a bit, ending in the middle of the parking lot for the big plaza. Riven grabbed my arm with her left arm, leaving me to hold my sword with my weaker arm.

"If you sense anything, just pull me towards where," Riven said, as I nodded. It didn't matter much, I wasn't any kind of swordsman. All I could do was apparently redirect her Wind Slash. "Come out already."

I heard the iconic and very annoying laugh as I looked around quickly. I couldn't see the details but two objects seemed to be rushing towards one of us. Riven rushed towards me, making her shield appear. She pushed me away as multiple metal stars flew towards her. She shouted as the ninja appeared, stunning him. She swung her sword as the ninja raised his own blade, stopping her.

"I never thought of you as a vigilante, Riven," Zed said, as Riven continued her flurry of attacks. She pushed the enemy back before he vanished. Riven turned towards me.

"Swing!" Riven shouted as I noticed where Zed's initial shadow was. Riven had pushed me towards it for when this happened.

I swung the sword as hard as I could, as the ninja moved along with the blade. Riven could see the shadow? Zed held his side as he stared at me. He swung his arm and tossed another shuriken. Riven moved in front of me, as I felt a sharp pain hit my leg. I fell onto one of my knees.

"You bastard!..." Riven said, as she lunged forward again, empowering her blade.

The ninja moved back but Riven caught up to him. She began to attack, swinging wildly. I stood up slowly as I cringed.

"Riven, I'm alright, let's end this," I said, as she nodded. She swung her blade, shooting deafening shockwave. Zed quickly moved, pushing Riven's arm. The attack changed its course.

"Riley!" Riven shouted, pushing the ninja away.

I stuck the blue sword forward as the shockwave moved towards me. As it absorbed into my sword, I fought to keep my footing. I swung my sword vertically as I fell again. Riven rushed towards me.

"Are you alright?" Riven asked, as I nodded. I stood up as the darkness seemed to lighten. "Let's head back... I don't sense anything else here."

"Yeah... I don't need a criminal record right now," I said, as we walked slowly back towards the restaurant.

* * *

The rest of the dinner went by perfectly... for what little there was left. Neither of us were very hungry after the Zed ordeal. As we walked slowly with the box of leftovers, I sighed.

"My leg is killing me," I said, as we neared the car. I wasn't much of a doctor so I simply wrapped the shirt I wore under my button down shirt around my leg. The shuriken vanished with Zed and Riven made it to the table as I fixed it outside. Riven nodded. "Those shadows are annoying."

"I'm sorry. They are to keep track of. I should've done better," Riven said, as I shook my head.

"I can't even keep track of them when I get to see the whole Rift," I said, as I grinned. "We do have one problem. I don't think I can drive right now."

"What should we do then?" Riven asked as I tossed the keys towards her. "W- huh?"

"You're driving. It's late and the house isn't that far away," I said, as I moved towards the passenger side. "I don't want to put more pressure on this and I think I'll kill us both if I drive with my left foot."

"I will do my best," Riven said, as she got into the car herself. "You won't get hurt again, I promise. I will take care of you."

"Maybe we should get the bunny outfit," I began. "Actually, I think that would make my leg heal in a day."

"Yeah but the other wounds I'd give you would make your leg the least of your worries."


	20. Winds And Coffee

The next week had been borderline hell. With the thirteen extra hours and extra work that came with the manager training, my leg wasn't cooperating with the rest of my body. The blast of A/C was fantastic as we entered the massive building. Riven followed me as we stood in a small line of people. She pulled my arm lightly.

"Is this going to be a problem?" Riven asked as I shrugged.

"We'll have to try. I think we both need to see her," I said, as we took another step in line. "We have a few things to talk about."

"It's better that we don't avoid this," Riven said, as I nodded slowly.

"What LeBlanc said... All of those were her inner thoughts and she wouldn't forget what happened... if that's true, she hates us," I said, crossing my arms slowly.

"LeBlanc is manipulative... just ignore her right now. We're here and Angie is our friend," Riven said as I nodded slowly. I stood in front of the woman behind the computer as I took out my wallet.

"We came to visit Jessica Taylor. Room 4 something, I can't remember," I said, handing her my license. She stared at Riven. "Uhh... she forgot her ID."

"We can't really allow-" the woman began. I expected this, time for the ol' charm.

"Please ma'am, we messed up badly and if we don't talk to her, our friendship could be over," I began. The woman looked behind us, I continued. "It has to mean a lot to me if I'm here to see an ex girlfriend right? Just make two copies of my visitor sticker."

"I won't put my job jeopardy for a kid who can't move on from an ex," the woman said, crossing her arms.

"It's nothing like that. We won't be long either," I said as she sighed. She handed me my license and a sticker.

"She is in room 428, fourth floor. Enjoy your visit," the woman said. "Next."

"Well, I suppose I will wait outside," Riven said, as we stepped out of line. I smirked and shook my head.

"Oh Riven, you should know I always have multiple plans ready," I said, stepping closer to the Noxian. "The woman was staring at the clock eagerly. It's a little past noon... precious time cutting into her lunch break. Once this line is gone and she leaves, we have our chance."

"Riley, are you a criminal in this world?" Riven asked, tilting her head. I stared at her in disbelief.

"What? No, lots of people were like that during high school, especially when the teacher held us late," I said, as we moved towards the small waiting room, hiding behind the line. "Plus, I over think things."

"You're something else."

Zzz

After humming the evasion music from Metal Gear Solid 3, we made it to Angie's room. We stood awkwardly outside it as Riven gave me a slight push.

"We've broken too many rules to get frozen feet," Riven said, as I nodded.

"Cold feet, by the way," I said, as I slowly opened the door.

The white room and the bright sun overwhelmed my eyes for a split second. A small tv played in a corner of the room as the smell of... hospital seemed to multiply. A girl sat on the elevated bed, wearing a pale blue gown as she stated outside, with a thick book on her lap. She slowly turned towards Riven and I, while her expression seemed to dampen. I closed the door behind us as we entered.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked as she nodded. She looked tired... of me. "I know I'm probably the last person you wanna see right no-"

"Shut up..." she said, quietly. She raised her head slowly and gave me a weak smile. "Just stop hating yourself, you moron."

"Angie, look, I can't. What you said a week ago... did you mean that?" I asked, as I sat down across the room from her. She looked away.

"Why does it matter? We're friends, aren't we?" She said, distantly. "You've never had a sudden change of heart over a friend?"

"Yeah... but," I started. She cut me off.

"But nothing. It happened to me. I don't hate you, I could never but... God, I can't speak to you," She said, seemingly flustered. "You rescued me... thank you for that. Why did I end up at the hospital if I'm fine?"

"You weren't breathing and I panicked," I said, as she nodded.

"I-... I didn't hurt you, right?" She asked as I shook my head. "It's a scary thought... I'm involved with this and this happened to me. A moment of weakness and I'm almost dead at a playground after fighting with you and Riven."

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Angie. I'll keep you and your family safe, I promise," I said, as she looked at me again.

"I don't need you to do that. Just look after yourself, for once," She said, smiling. "I heard you're working under my name too. Isn't that illegal?"

"So is Riven working there so it's nothing," I said as she smirked.

"Stop that. Take days off, you need them," Angie said, as she leaned back. "I wouldn't trade these past months for anything. Next time you visit, bring me some iced coffee, I'm sick of drinking water."

"Sure, I snuck Riven in, a little drink won't be a challenge," I said, as she laughed slightly.

"I'll hold you to that. I expect a large iced coffee within the next three days, Riley."

zzzz

I leaned back on my chair, staring at the fishtank in my room. It felt nice to finally be back in my room and have a rare two days off in a row. Nicole sat behind my computer on her own chair, as Riven sat on the bed, staring at the computer. I sighed as she hit the backspace button repeatedly.

"No, no. It has to be more annoying deep meaning... teachers love that artsy stuff," I said, as Nicole stared at me. "I'm so stuck. It has to be borderline edgy. You get it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, I think this is alright..." Nicole said, insisting on what she wrote. "We could get Angie to play the girl and you can be the guy."

"Nicole I will end you," I sighed. "I'm saying have some kind of dumb meaning behind it. Unless it's a comedy, everything that happens needs a reason. I almost got chewed out in front of a crowd because I made a film go into black and white and didn't have an explanation. It was actually cause some stuff looked weird and that was the only solution."

"Alright, what if the guy is some loser trying to work the courage to ask out a popular girl and it's, like, don't give up even if you get rejected," Nicole said, as I glared at her.

"Is this a reflection of yourself?" I said, as she glared back. Perfect reversal. I spun around on the chair and Riven's eyes locked with mine. "Any ideas?"

"No, I am sorry," Riven said, shaking her head.

"Well, we have a while anyway. Use the format I showed you if you get an idea, this program does it pretty much for you," I said, as she nodded.

"How is Angie?' Nicole asked, as she stood up.

"She's better. Seems she just passed out," I said as she picked up the wooden chair. I waved her away. "I'll move it, just go start thinking."

"I'm sorry I couldn't help," Riven said, as I sat beside her.

"It's her project so we shouldn't force anything. Doing it for her wouldn't help her," I said, as Riven nodded in agreement. I laid down and extended my arms with a sigh. "God, I haven't been so tired in ages."

"Spend these two days resting. You shouldn't be wearing yourself out," Riven said, slowly lowering her head onto my arm. Her hair was as smooth as silk... it always was. I touched her cheek as her eyes followed my hand. "Is everything alright?"

"Huh? Yeah... everything's perfect," I said, as I closed my eyes and yawned. Once in a while, a thought I didn't want to think of. This world wasn't where she belonged... she would eventually have to leave and, as much as I didn't want to admit it, sooner was better than later. I pulled myself up onto one of my elbows and looked at the Exile. "We should go for a walk. There might be a champion around."

"I think you should sleep," Riven said, as I sat up. I grinned.

"I'll be alright. I'm only tired because I'm not doing anything. Let's go," I said, standing up. Riven sighed and slowly stood up.

"I can see I won't be able to talk you out of it," Riven said as I smirked and grabbed her hand.

"Of course not!"

Zzz

When I was younger, I walked around my neighbourhood for hours sometimes. I could spend seemingly an eternity on the phone as I seemingly dug a rut throughout the small, gated community. The cool wind continued to blow, it's a shame January would be over soon and, with that, so would the chillier weather. The orange sky continued to darken as we neared the tennis courts.

"Around the middle of the year, we could get hurricanes. I remember all these fences around here fell and everyone played around on them," I said as Riven stared up at the gates.

"All of that fell over?" She asked, wide eyed. I nodded.

"All the times I've been here, only two have been bad enough for school to get cancelled," I said, as she nodded slowly. "Usually just means a few days of candle-lit boredom and hotness. We also get good means cooked on a tiny gas powered thing."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Riven said, nodding.

"At this point, it'd just be a day off," I said, grinning. Riven nodded happily. "Oh, we should come play pool sometime... I forget about that."

"Don't you swim in pools?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yep. There's also a game called pool. Some places call it billiards but we never did. It's really fun, we can come play tomorrow," I said, as we continued walking.

"That sounds great..." Riven said, quietly. She looked around as the streetlights began to turn on. "This... this is great."

"What is?" I asked as Riven let go of my hand. She stretched her arms and turned towards me. I walked up towards her. "Heh, what's gotten into you?"

"What do you mean?" Riven asked as I stopped in front of her. "I'm... thinking about things. I'm happy right now."

"Really? About what?" I asked, as she stepped back. She was contagious; I felt like a lovestruck teenager. I closed the gap again.

"Things. I'm kind of glad I talked you out of sleeping," Riven said as I walked behind her. We had slowly made our way towards the front of the neighbourhood. There was nothing of interest aside from the swimming pool, gym, and office building. Riven stopped as I looked around. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked. "I should be thanking you."

"I don't know why or how all of this happened but I ended up with you. I spent every day fighting and training. I stop thinking of happiness. Now... I'm here. Instead of kicking me out, you let me live with you," Riven said, as she looked at me. "I'm just tired of the senseless fighting. Do you ever think about why what happened happened?"

"Yeah, I do," I said, as I put my hands in my pockets. I paced around slowly. "I have better things to think about though."

"Like what?" The Exile asked, as she slowly walked towards me. I grabbed her as she fluidly moved towards me.

"How things will be by the next year," I said, as she settled by me. We were between the office building and another set of apartment, away from the world. "I was content with things staying the way they were for another year but now... I'm not so sure."

"How so?" She asked. As if I could ever ask her to stay, that wouldn't be right.

"Dunno. I'll figure it out when I get there," I said as she nodded. "That's been working out lately."

"I agree," Riven said, looking back at me. I smiled and nodded. One of her hands found itself near my face as she whispered to me. I leaned forward slowly. "I'm thinking of someone right now."

"I'm sure that's a pretty lucky person."


	21. Night And Day Troubles

**Here is chapter 21 blah blah I think this is still within 2 weeks so my schedule is still working! I've been busy switching jobs and stuff but I finally start back on Monday. We're at a slow point, I'd say, for the story but it'll pick up soon, I promise. **

**Thank you for the continued support and stuff, love u all. **

**Also... Arcade Riven and Battle Boss Blitzcrank bot lane is the best thing ever.**

* * *

"Riley, wake up."

"Wha? No, we don't work today,"

"Someone is knocking," the woman said, as I sat up slowly.

"Coming, hold on," I said, loudly enough to be heard. I rubbed my eyes as I looked over at Riven, who had brought the blanket up to her head. "At least you're finally sleeping more. Need anything?"

"A drink," Riven said, as she nodded.

I made my way to the door as Nicole stood on the other side. She grinned slyly.

"I'm telling mom and dad," Nicole said, as I shook her head. She moved away and glared at me. "Anyway, mom needs a ride and help with stuff."

"What? Okay, lemme get my stuff," I said, as she walked away. "Hey, bring me a glass of water."

"Do it yourself," she said, looking back at me.

"Okay, have fun filming with your phone," I said, as she sighed and grumbled something, indicating I had won.

I headed back into the room and grabbed my stuff. Riven looked at me through her blanket fortress.

"Where are you going?" She asked. She looked tired, for once.

"My mom needs a ride and help with stuff, just stay here and sleep," I said, as she shook her head slowly.

"Are you sure?" She asked, as I leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, this is the first time I've seen you actually sleepy," I said, as she smiled, which looked adorable.

After grabbing my usual pocket stuff and putting the glass of water on the desk besides the bed, I went into the living room, where my mom was waiting. She grabbed her bag as we began to head out.

"It's nice to see you awake before twelve," she said, speaking in Spanish. I didn't mind it aside from the words I didn't know, it was a good way to not forget. It was funny but kinda sad to hear Nicole speak, as she barely ever speaks Spanish anymore.

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe when I retire I'll wake up in the morning," I said, as she sighed. "Where are we going anyway?"

"I need your help with buying a camera for Nicole and thought we could go eat something," she said, as she got into the passenger seat. I sat down in the low driver's seat as I began the car.

"Alright, where are we going?" I asked, as I began to head towards the exit.

* * *

After spending about an hour looking through stuff, I sat with my mother at a booth inside a Chilli's. We didn't take long, the longest part was declining the constant offers from the salespeople there. My mom had learned about a pay to own special they were doing and decided to buy Nicole's birthday present a bit early. I had pointed out the ones we used during my time in high school, where the newer models didn't change too much, which saved her a pretty penny. I suppose those four years of film classes did come in handy.

"See what happens when you take me electronic shopping? A bit quicker then when you took me to a thrift store," I joked as she smiled.

"You didn't mind so much if you got a toy," she said, as I nodded. Her face saddened a bit. "I'm worried about Nicole... what if she gets rejected."

"She can go to my school," I said as she sighed.

"You know she won't be happy about that. Most people she know won't go there as their first choice," she said, as I nodded. I remember that, when the news came during school, some people were crying while people like me went on normally. Made me kind of upset that my school was primarily a second choice but people who ended up there usually loved it or left their first year.

"She'll make it, don't worry," I said, sipping my drink. "With two cameras, I can make double the magic."

"Hopefully," she said, as our food arrived. "How is Riven doing?"

"Huh? Oh, she's alright," I said. I didn't want to talk about her much, she didn't have anywhere else to go.

"She seems too shy. Is she not comfortable with us?" She asked, as I shook my head.

"No, she's just like that. She's very happy but doesn't want to cause any trouble," I said, as I bit into my lunch-breakfast. "I'm the same way whenever I stay anywhere."

"She's cute, maybe you should marry her," she said, as I coughed slightly. "How old is she anyway?"

"Uhhh, twenty six?" I said, making up a believable number.

"Just a few years older than me," she said, jokingly. "You could have some cute grandkids for us."

"M-Mom, it's too early for that," I said, as she laughed at my misery.

"Why did you break up with Angie anyway? You never talked about it," she asked, as I avoided eye contact.

"Just... rather be friends," I said, quietly. Lying to my mom wasn't the best feeling. 'Plus I'm too busy falling for a League champion while sending over a hundred others back to another world while being a store manager and remembering to feed my fish every night.'

"You know I would never force you to do something like that... unless I'm eighty and you're still single because then you'll fear my wrath," she said, as I nodded with a smile. "I'm so happy Nicole is going to hopefully go to college..."

"Yeah, me too. Lucky for that work permit thing, it's not gonna cost a fortune," I said. She looked at me sadly again. "Don't, I don't need to go."

"We came here for both of you to have good lives, we can make it work," my mom said, as I shook my head. "You're always saying you miss school."

"I do sometimes but trust me, I'm the happiest I've been in a while," I said, as her interest was peaked.

"Oh? Is it a girl?" She asked as I glared at her. "Who is she?"

"No one," I said, as I began to think. Maybe she could help me... "Hypothetically... what if you liked someone but you knew they would eventually not be there anymore after like, a year. What would you do?"

"Hmm... if they're moving away, you should just tell her. Long distance can work if you both want it enough," she said, as I internally sighed. Yeah, I doubt Valoran to Earth would count as long distance. "Go for it, you're young. Chase the girls!"

"Heh... thanks," I said, as my vision blurred slightly. I looked around as things seemed different. I quickly stood up. "I'll be right back."

I ended up outside, hoping to get some Advil or at least some air. I held my head as I sat on one of the planters. My head felt light as the dizziness began to lessen.

"What the hell..." I said to myself. I leaned back slightly as I yawned. I pulled my phone out and saw a message from Nicole. She asked if Riven was alright. I began to head back inside; maybe I was just tired.

* * *

A few hours later, Riven and I found ourselves alone at the house. My parents had gone somewhere with Nicole and said to make something for dinner. I stared at the door to my bedroom silently as I cringed when a loose drop of burning oil landed on my hand.

"Ffffff- crap," I said, quietly, shaking my hand slightly. I was used to that feeling but it was still a shock. I quickly walked towards the fridge and put some mustard on the area; I wasn't sure if it really helped or if a coworker's placebo medical advice stuck with me.

A while passed before anything happened. I continued putting random things in the omelette I was trying to make as I heard my door open. A hooded Riven emerged slowly as she walked towards me.

"Hey, you slept all day," I said as she looked at me. Once she stepped closer, I noticed her face was pale. "Feel hungry?"

"Not really," she said, as she moved towards the couch. "What happened to me?"

"You're just sick. Just need some rest and relaxation," I said, as I turned the oven top off. I figured the jumbled mess of meats was satisfactory. "I'm probably getting sick too. Felt horrible earlier for a while."

"What do you mean?" Riven asked, as I moved around the kitchen. Using my mastery of the kitchen and laziness, I grabbed some bread and made a breakfast sandwich for dinner.

"Earlier, I randomly got a migraine but I'm alright now," I said, as I moved towards the couch. I turned the TV on and put my plate of food on the small, wooden table. I sat beside Riven, who sat forward with her head lowered. I moved my hand towards her forehead as she flinched slightly. "Yep. You have a fever. Nothing bad... is sickness in Valoran not a thing?"

"I'm unsure. I never had to worry about sickness," Riven said, as she slowly lowered her body towards mine. "This is very cumbersome."

"Yeah, it sucks. On the bright side, you don't have to go to work," I said, as I looked around. The house was dark, only the TV illuminated the living room and the bottom of my door was trimmed by the light of my computer and aquarium.

"Where did everyone go?" Riven asked, staring towards the TV. I ended up finding an old Chappelle comedy special. Riven wouldn't understand the references, I can't imagine how that would feel.

"My aunt's house for something. Did I tell you my mom got Nicole a new camera?" I said, as Riven shook her head. "That's what she needed help with. She said it's for both of us."

"That's sweet of her. Can you tell me how this school works?" Riven asked, as I put on a smile.

"Sure," I began, as I looked through the crack in the curtains to the small patio. Where we were had a nice view of a small lake surrounded by more buildings and the playground. "I hate that school. It's full of arrogant, spoiled, rich kids that look down on others… mostly. I'm just angry at some people, it's a school known for making greatness. I doubt I would've made it in but I know Nicole and Jamie will make it in for sure. Jamie can draw like a monster and Nicole has an eye for detail I know will do her wonders.

"Why are you angry? What happened?" Riven asked, as I leaned my head back.

"I got into a fight with a spoiled kid about it. He was saying he'd get me deported and when he got rejected from that school, I told him he deserved it. He tried to swing at me while calling me names and… heh… I'm not proud of what happened then," I said, smirking. "I lost control and slammed him to the wall. I never got in trouble; no one believed I would ever do something like that and the people that saw it knew I was in the right. I felt like a hero, for a weird reason."

"I see…" Riven said, closing her eyes.

"I felt really guilty then, during my time in high school, everyone kept hating it because they didn't get accepted either but the 4 years I was there, all the students won so many awards for films and acting; I felt passionate about my school. I'm just worried that Nicole will end up meeting the negative people in life, I don't want her to deal with that drama," I said, as I rested my head on my arm. Riven shifted her body, putting her head on my lap.

"I know you mean well. I can see how much you care for everyone around you," Riven said, quietly. "Sorry, I feel drained."

"Yeah, that happens, just sleep again, I won't go anywhere," I said, as she nodded.

"I know."

* * *

The quiet sounds of the TV filled the room as I opened my eyes. A blanket covered Riven and I slowly sat up. I grabbed my phone and squinted at the bright light from it. It was almost five thirty in the morning; my parents and sister seemed to have come home. I moved slowly, placing a cushion under Riven's head.

I sat down at the dinner table with my cold dinner sandwich and took a bite. It was delicious, I was a culinary genius... probably. An hour long, random infomercial played on the TV as I noticed Riven moving. She slowly sat up, holding her head.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" I asked as she looked towards me.

"There's... a champion nearby," Riven said, as she slowly stood up. I moved towards her.

"I don't think you should be fighting right now," I said, as her sword appeared around her waist. She pushed me away as I moved. "Riven..."

"I have to. We promised we wouldn't be reckless," Riven said, as she stared at me. She looked determined. "I've had a good amount of rest, I will be alright."

"Fine, let's get this over with, it's way too early," I said, as we headed towards the door. I tried my best to be silent but the door seemed to have the rustiest hinges at this time.

We quickly headed down the stairs and towards the car. I grabbed the blue sword and Riven looked around. The sky seemed darker than usual; it should be lighter by this time of morning. We began to walk through the streets of the silent neighbourhood. I looked at my side. Riven looked like her head was about to explode but she continued walking in silence.

"Anything?" I asked, as she shook her head.

"It's hard to sense anything. It comes and goes..." Riven said. She sounded like she was struggling to focus.

"Could be just Irelia," I suggested as she shook her head.

"It's different just... faint," she said, as we continued. She turned her head towards me. "I'm okay. Don't worry."

"Heh, I know," I said with a smirk was we neared entrance of the neighbourhood. It was quite a thought; the previous night we were here kissing like a teenage couple and I was infecting her with my sickness. "Yeah, sorry about getting you sick, by the way."

"It's alright, it's not like we could control that," Riven said, as she looked around silently. "I don't sense anything anymore. Can you?"

"Nothing. I can barely sense things anyway," I sighed.

We stopped and looked around one last time. It had been almost ten minutes and Riven seemed to not be able to sense anything. If anything, we just looked suspicious.

"Let's head back, I need a second breakfast," I said, yawning. She looked towards me with a similar look Angie would give me. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head with a grin. "Something is going on. I'm worried."

"We'll handle it," I said, as she nodded. "I was kinda tossed into this but we'll get through it together."

"I know. I don't have a doubt. I would just rather face things sooner than later," Riven said as she began to head back. The sword had vanished from her waist and I slowly followed, holding my own.

'I'd rather not.'

"Hey, let's go out for breakfast," I said, as I caught up to Riven. She nodded.

"Is everything ok?" She asked as I nodded quickly.

"Yeah, yeah. Just... pancakes and stuff," I said, laughing awkwardly.

"Alright then, it is a date," Riven said.

As quick as I was taken out of it, I returned to my world of happiness and ignorance.


	22. An Interesting Film

**After the least threatening hurricane in existence, I am still alive and here to deliver chapter 22. I want to get this uploaded before I die of a heartbreak since I want Cloud 9 and Liquid to go to Worlds :(**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hey, you needed something?"

"I just want to discuss some things with you," the woman said, as I stood a few yards away. She turned towards me and glanced towards my hands. "Think I would attack you?"

"No. Just in case, Riven feels better if I have it when we're separated," I said as Irelia walked towards me. I sat on the bleachers of the soccer field while the woman walked around. "What did you need?"

"You aren't taking this seriously, are you?" Irelia asked as I looked away.

"What? Of course I am," I said, facing her. "Why do you say that?"

"Do you know what is happened? How our worlds seem to be intertwined somehow?" Irelia asked, as I nodded.

"I guess not. What did you find out?" I asked.

"I didn't find anything out but it's pretty clear. Think about it; our worlds were in balance when separated. We have to return everyone to their world before things happen we won't be able to deal with," Irelia said as I nodded slowly. "I've been looking for others like you with no luck. You're, so far, the only summoner that can return us to our world."

"Yeah, and I'm doing my best. I'm just one person," I said, resting my head on my hands. "I've sent like, half of the champions back. It's not like I control when they show up either."

"Fair enough. Just remember, you aren't the only person affected by this. Many people in this world relied on ours," Irelia said, as I followed her pacing. "We rely on each other, it seems. It would be better if we fixed this sooner than earlier."

"I know, is that all you wanted to say?" I asked, as she nodded. I hopped off the metal bleachers and looked around. "Do whatever you're doing. I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I can't speed this up unless I put my entire life on hold."

"If you think I'm wasting time, you're sorely mistaking. Are you?" Irelia asked. I shrugged. "How's the other girl?"

"She's alright. No one can explain what happened and she got released," I said, as she nodded and crossed her arms.

"Are you avoiding this?" Irelia asked, walking towards me. I looked away. "She doesn't belong here. Your feelings shouldn't-"

"Enough! I'm leaving now. If you need anything else, let me know," I said, starting to walk away. "If I needed lectures, I would've gone back to school."

"I'm sorry. I will remain in touch, summoner," Irelia said.

"Riley's good. I'm no summoner here."

* * *

"Alright, I think that's as much as we can do today," I said, as I stared at the papers. Nicole looked at them beside me as she nodded. "Everyone get it?"

"Sounds good," Riven said as an excited Angie nodded.

"Easy! You're as good as in," Angie said to Nicole. She turned towards the two others who were there. "Thanks for helping too."

"Yeah, no problem," one of my two friends, Greg, said. The other friend, Mikey, had also been with me in the last game of League we played. Both could use the cameras, as they went to school with me, but neither felt as comfortable acting in front of it as I did.

"Surprisingly, Angie deems herself a natural actress so we'll have to be the actors," I said, as she nodded. She grinned. "We'll do two pages a day. Finish within a week and have lots of time to do extra stuff."

"Another tale of forbidden, hidden romance. I love what you came up with Nicole," Angie said, flashing the girl a quick thumbs up. She smiled and turned away shyly.

"Better than anything your brother ever wrote," Greg said, as I glared at him.

"Hopefully you'll even turn it in on time," Mikey added as I stood up.

"Okay, okay, let's get to work, we have sunlight to deal with. Plus, once Mrs. V wants to leave, we're done too," I said , as everyone nodded in unison.

Thanks to our alumni status and our school's policy, graduates were allowed to return and film on campus as long as it was cleared by the principal and owner of the school. Since Greg just happened to be his son, three of us being graduates and us bringing our own equipment, it went pretty smoothly. We found Greg's former spanish teacher who let us use her classroom while she spoke with other language teachers. Mikey setup the tripod as Nicole sat with Greg, who was showing her how to use the camera. I sat back down as Angie hopped around and Riven stared at me.

"Mind holding the microphone while they record?" I asked as she quickly nodded. "It's kinda boring but vital to get good audio."

"Of course. You sound so formal here," Riven said, as I attached the boom mic to the pole. "Your love for Nicole and this 'filming' thing is clear."

"Hey, if I can help her get into school so she won't annoy me for four years, I'll do it," I said, as I looked around. "Plus, acting is fun. Making something people want to watch is a good feeling."

"What is acting in this case?" Riven asked as I grabbed a copy of the script. I stared at it for a while, Nicole had done a good job writing it. "Angie is playing one character and I'm the other. Our job is to act natural in front of the camera."

"I see. I will do my best for Nicole," Riven said as I stood up again, handing Mikey the microphone cord.

"You ready, brat?" I said as Nicole hit me in the stomach, catching me off guard. "I- I meant Angie."

"Ready as always!" Angie shouted, sitting in the front row. I sat across and behind her as I grinned.

"We good?" I asked as Greg nodded. He stood over Nicole as she stood on a chair to reach the raised camera better. Mikey held a camera in his hands and nodded; his job was to shoot different angles for now.

"We in, boys," Mikey said as I nodded.

"Alright Nicole," I said, smirking. "You're in charge now. If anything isn't perfect, you tell us."

I stared at my phone quickly before Nicole spoke; it had been about a half hour since we met up. Luckily, I told Nicole it'd be easier for Angie and I to have shorter scenes, which she did. Angie grabbed some gum from her bag and began to chew it while I leaned back on my chair, holding it airborne with one foot on the desk and began to fiddle with a pencil.

"Ok, start rolling... Riven, hold it above them, as center as you can," Nicole said, looking at Riven, who nodded. She stood on a chair as well. I doubted the microphone would tire her arms anytime soon. "Alright, on 3... one, two."

The fourteen year old raised three fingers and a silence took over the room. It was a beautiful sound... and feeling. After a few seconds, I leaned back forward and Angie jumped at the sound. She seemed to be a natural... who knew?

"Could you be anymore annoying?" She asked, with a snotty tone. I put on a sly smirk and began to tap the pencil.

"Hey, I wasn't bothering you, princess," I said, cockily. "What brings you to time out, anyway?"

"None of your business, leave me alone, I don't need any more trouble," she said, as I lowered my head onto my crossed arms.

"Fine, fine. Let's spend another forty minutes in silence waiting for Teach to get back," I said, as she sighed. She reluctantly turned around. She stuck her tongue out as I pretended to shoot myself.

"Cut!" Nicole said, as she clapped. "Wow, I thought you were joking."

"Angie never kids!" Angie said, proudly as I coughed.

"You happy with one take or want us to do it again?" I said, as Riven lowered the mic and looked around.

"I think one more couldn't hurt..." she said, quietly.

"Hey, that's how this works. It's better to have options," Mikey said, walking towards her.

Riven stared at me, biting her lip slightly. She tilted her head as her sword appeared. Angie's head bolted towards that, as the other three were pre-occupied with Mikey's footage.

Fuck... why now?" I said, under my breath. I stood up, as their eyes shifted to me. "I- I'll be right back, I forgot something."

"What's wrong?" Nicole asked as Angie stood up, waving her arms. Riven already had vanished through the door, silently.

"Hey, don't worry! We can just so my close ups! That's the best part of this movie, right?" Angie said, as she turned and nodded slightly towards me.

"Thanks..."

* * *

Riven and I quickly found ourselves in the parking lot, armed with our weapons. Time was in its usual stasis as we looked around cautiously. Riven began to move towards a set of portables.

"This way," she said. "Its clear today."

"Yeah... I kinda feel something too..." I said, as I followed her. It was actually sensible, for once. We stopped again as we heard a laugh. The voice sounded a bit strange... like it was corrupted or something.

"Come out and return to Valoran," I said, as Riven held her sword and stepped forward. She quickly dashed to her side as a black orb appeared where she was. "Pretty sure it isn't Soraka now."

"Show yourself," Riven said, as the laughing was heard again.

"Who's hiding?" The voice said. It was clearly coming from above us. If there was any confusion as to who it was, the three spheres around her cemented the thought. "You're the first other I've seen in a long time, Exile."

"And the last one. We're sending you back, peacefully or not," Riven said, angrily. The woman laughed again and picked up one of the orbs on the ground. She moved it to where Riven was as she dodged again.

"I doubt that. There's no limit to my powers here," Syndra said. "No summoners to hold me back."

"Like that only applies to you," I said as she noticed me.

"My, what's this? You got yourself a pet summoner?" Syndra said, mockingly.

"Enough!" Riven said, as Syndra moved her hands towards me. I felt a weird force around me like I was being squeezed.

"Riven, there's a way to climb up from the side, I'll keep her busy," I said, moving towards Riven. Once Riven nodded, I looked up at the woman.

"You're not gonna make this easy, are you?" I said as she tightened a fist. I felt the squeezing feeling tighten as well. "I'll take that as a no."

"I'm amused you think this is a joke. Without the boundaries of the Runeterra and the League, I can conquer this pathetic place," Syndra said, with a smirk. She tightened her grip again as I felt a forced sigh come out of my mouth.

"Good thing... You're not staying here," I said as she lost her grip. Riven tackled her from behind causing them both to fall near me. I moved towards Riven as she looked at me.

"I'm okay, send her back," Riven said, as she held her down.

"What? No..." I said, as I looked at my hand. If I did that... both would be sent back. "You'll be sent back too."

"Riley, just do it!" Riven exclaimed before being forcefully pushed away.

"You okay?" I asked, as she nodded and got back up. "Figures she wouldn't go down that easily."

'You'll pay for that, Riven," Syndra said as she moved away towards the parking lot.

"She can use her powers on us... be careful," I added as we moved towards the parking lot. Riven nodded and looked at me.

"Maybe you should stay back then," Riven said as I shook my head.

"No. If you get caught, what'll happen?" I asked as she smirked.

"Not like I expected you to agree to that, let's go, Nicole's still waiting," Riven said as I stopped and looked up at the school building.

"Nicole..." I whispered to myself. Her and Angie have seen what happens when time stops... I had to focus on this. I felt a weird feeling and, before i noticed, my sword had been taken away from me. It was suspended in the air, with a dark glow around it.

"Heh, letting your guard down?" Syndra's voice echoed. The sword turned towards me and began to fly at me Riven dashed forward and held her sword upwards, stopping the blade and grabbing it.

"Never," Riven said, tossing the sword back by the blade. I panicked but caught it by the handle... guess those years of soccer didn't go to waste.

Riven lunged forward as Syndra. The mage began to summon her dark spheres; each time Riven sidestepped the obstacles. I began to move forward at another angle. Riven began to swing her sword at the Sovereign, who seemed to dodge her swings with ease. She created a sphere where Riven's foot landed and quickly moved it, causing her to fall.

"Quit playing the hero, this isn't a game anymore, Riven," Syndra said as I stopped.

Syndra swung her orb over her own head and towards Riven, who raised her sword and deflected the orb. Riven hopped onto her feet and Syndra moved back. Riven's arm was bloody; it looked like a few scrapes at best. The orbs on the ground began to rise as Syndra extended her arm forward. Riven closed her eyes and stood defensively.

Despite Riven, Angie, and Nicole constantly reminding me I was just a human and to be careful, none of that seemed to exist in my mind. The spheres began to fly towards Riven as I lunged in between the two women. Instinctively I put the blue sword horizontal to my chest and closed my eyes.

"Riley!"

"Wha- how!" Syndra's voice exclaimed, angrily.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw the orbs on the ground. My head and body ached terribly but I was alive and, more importantly...

"T-Thank you..." Riven said as she looked back towards Syndra, who looked fatigued. Seems like after beating Riven with most of her strength, I would've been an easy target.

Riven moved forward again as Syndra shot a wave of energy, shooting all the spheres towards us. I was too far from them and Riven continued to move through them easily. I felt another weird sensation as Syndra raised her arm towards me. The forces on my body tightened but my arm felt the worst. I fell to my knees as Riven charged her blade. I began to feel intense pain until I heard a loud snap, which only made the pain multiply.

"Heh, stopped struggling? Finally you admit defeat," Riven said, as she held her sword towards Syndra's face. She smirked and nodded.

"Heh... sure. You've defeated me but hopefully your summoner enjoys his gift," Syndra said as Riven turned towards me.

"Riven, I'm alright," I said, as I got on my feet again. I tried to move my arm and nearly tasted blood from how hard I bit my lip. "Fuck. Let's just get back to them.

I extended my left arm out as Riven stared at the ground. Syndra, along with her sword, slowly vanished in a white light. After she disappeared, I sat on the ground, wincing again. Riven walked towards me and wrapped her arms around me.

"Thanks for earlier... but how did you..." Riven asked, as I tilted my head. "You... deflected her attack. It seemed like one of my abilities."

"I just wanted to protect you. I didn't really think... guess this thing looks like yours for a reason..." I said, staring at the blue sword. I stared at my arm in silence.

"What is it?" Riven asked as I shook my head.

"I think my arm is broken," I said as Riven's face changed. Her arm moved towards mine slowly as I heard a familiar sound.

* * *

I laid on my bed with arm rested over a small bag of ice as Riven sat besides me. I sighed as I put my free arm behind my head.

"To think once upon a time only we were involved. Now everyone is," I said.

After Syndra was sent back, the sound I heard was Nicole. She was followed by Angie... and both of my other friends. They saw everything and I had to beg them to keep their mouths shut about my arm, especially Nicole. I felt like total shit... why did she go after my good arm?

"Hey, be happy, I like you happy," I said as Riven sighed.

"I hate that you're involved in this... you keep getting injured because of this," Riven said as I shook my head.

"No, no. You know that saying 'Love hurts'?" I asked as she seemed to jumped in her seat.

"L-Love?" Riven asked with a reddening face. I laughed quietly.

"Yeah, I guess so. Never met a girl who I'd jump in front of an all powerful sorceress' strongest attack for," I said. "That must mean something, right?"

"Just... I'll help you," Riven said, lowering her head onto my chest. "Breaking a bone isn't fun."

"I'd say so. Imma writing even worse now," I joked as Riven laughed quietly. "Hey, you finally laughed again."

"It's hard not to when it's like this... even if you're hurt," Riven said as I put my free arm around her. "I'll just ghetto splint it somehow so I can still use my hand maybe."

"Still... there is something that's been bothering me," Riven said, laying back up. "I think we should practice more. Your sword must have a reason for appearing... and the way you shielded like I would makes me more sure of that."

"Honestly, I thought it was a way to redirect your Wind Slash... just go easy on me," I said as she poked my right arm. "Hey!"

"Toughen up. Heh..." she said, smirking. "It's getting late, we should get some rest."

"I don't think I'll be sleeping much tonight," I said as she stood up. "Where you going?"

"To change. Do you need anything?" Riven asked as I shook my head and moved my left hand towards my face.

"You can change in here," I began, barely covering my eye. "I won't look promise."

"Really?" Riven asked, as she slowly pulled her skirt down a bit... before sticking her tongue out at me. "If only you were as good at lying as you were getting hurt."

"Heh... worth a try?" I said, as she left the room with a smile and an eye roll.

As I prepared myself for sleep, I felt my phone vibrate on the nightstand... who would text me at this hou- hell, like I didn't know. I opened the text from Angie.

'HEY I HAVE A PROPOSITION ILL TELL YOU AT WORK OK'

_'Crap... I think death might've been a safer alternative.'_


	23. A Proposal And A Scare

**Ok here is the next chapter for my favorite people. I don't know why but I am so excited for Worlds this year... Cloud 9 is gonna win, no doubt. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"What? I can barely do my own laundry, how do you expect me to sew something?" I asked the over excited girl. She crossed her arms as she sipped her drink.

"It's easy, I can help you," she began. "Don't you think it'd be fun?"

"Well... yeah but..." I said, sighing. "I'd feel out of place. Last time I went to one, it felt awkward."

"You were probably making it awkward," Angie said as she turned to Riven, who silently licked an ice cream cone. It was almost a perfect sphere of chocolatey goodness. "What do you think? League is very popular here, you could experience how we see it."

"It sounds interesting. I would not be opposed to going," Riven said as Angie smirked at me.

"See? She's dying to be integrated into our culture and you'd be fine denying her the right?" Angie said, blowing everything out of proportion like usual. I sighed in defeat but with a grin.

"Heh, guess I'm due for a vacation," I said as Angie yelped. Everyone stared towards us and everyone but Angie agree with me.

"I've never had anyone that actually wanted to come before... this is gonna be so fun," Angie said, standing up. All eyes were on her.

"Calm down or we'll pretend you're some homeless girl," I said, pulling her down. Riven stared at us through her ice cream fortress. "It's just an anime convention."

"I need to get so much stuff... guess this job wasn't a total waste," Angie grinned as I leaned back.

"You're fired," I said, with a smirk. I rested my head on my hands and sighed again. "Now Greg and Mikey are involved... and I'm stuck with a broken arm."

"By the way... maybe you should go to get an actual cast..." Angie said, quietly.

"No, the last thing my parents need is medical bills. I'll be okay... writing with my left hand won't make my shitty handwriting any worse," I said, jokingly.

"I can ask my parents for help with paying, if you want," Angie said, as I shook my head.

"Hell no, that's too much to ask for. Just don't worry, I'm alright," I said as I stood up. "We should head home. We need to pick up dinner anyway."

"Stop being stubborn," Angie said, as she stood up as well. "What's for dinner? Can I come?"

"No."

* * *

I sat in front of my desk, idly scrolling through random websites. My parents ordered pizza for pickup and Nicole had invited herself to eat in my room. She sat on my bed, on her laptop, while Riven stared at the TV. She was finally continuing to play Persona 3.

"How's your arm?" Nicole asked.

"Fine," I said, as I spun towards her. "Never tell mom about this."

"I-I won't... doesn't she think it's you playing too many video games?" Nicole asked as I proudly nodded.

"Yep. I slept on it weird and let's me play longer," I said. Guess those years of video games after school paid off.

"You and Angie were so natural together. We got so much done," Nicole said as I nodded.

"Believe me, we have no problems with bickering. I was surprised Angie didn't mess it up," I said as she nodded.

"Thanks for everything. It's a huge relief," Nicole said, standing up.

"Yeah, don't mention it. Just don't make me look bad... and remember, that camera is for both of us," I said, as I messed up her hair. She nodded. "Alright, go away. We're gonna do adult stuff."

"Wha-?!" She asked, flustered as I moved to sit beside Riven. I pointed at the TV.

"This is a rated M game, go away before it somehow scars you," I said as she hit me and walked away, reddened.

"You're so mean," Riven said as I shrugged. "Tell me more about what Angie proposed."

"Anime conventions are like, huge get togethers where people dress up and talk about videogames and animes. They're pretty fun... I've been to one once," I said, remembering. "Luckily for you, you have a perfect Riven cosplay."

"What's that? I remember hearing that word before," Riven asked.

"Like, a costume. I wonder what Angie has in mind... oh no," I said, as I began to think of possibilities. If she went over the top for little things, imagine what she'd do with a cosplay.

"But I'm not wearing a costume.. this is me," Riven said, as I quickly nodded.

"R-Right! Most people recognize you from League but they think it's only a game," I said, staring at the TV screen.

"You don't sound normal. What is the matter?" She asked, as I shook my head just as quickly.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing," I lied. Just my constant thoughts, nothing new.

"Okay, I will believe you," Riven said, returning to the game. I sighed in relief and leaned back.

"We can probably dress up as something from this game... nothing seems too complex," I said, beginning to think. "Like... I think you could pull off Elizabeth since your hair is white."

"But the only characters with your hair color are different lengths or ten years old," Riven stated.

"The answer for that is a wig," I said, sitting up again. Not using my arms had gotten a bit easier... and I deemed that enough exercise for this year. "The main character I kinda wanted to do. I'll ask Angie for an opinion. I can't wait for tomorrow, I forgot how fun filming is when things don't completely mess up."

"What do you mean?" Riven asked me.

"My school had a contest each year where they gave us a theme and we had to represent it in a film. I entered three years in a row but never submitted anything... too many people cancelled, equipment issues and stuff like that. I loved what I wrote but it ended up just being a text file on my computer," I said. It was always a disappointing topic; it was a chance to stand out in my class but I always came up short.

"Can I ask something that you might not want to answer?" Riven began. I nodded slowly. "Are you trying to avoid feelings when you constantly joke with people?"

"Not really. I think I'm funny sometimes. I just don't have the most confidence," I said. This is the same stuff I told Angie before... but this won't end the same. "I regret a lot of things but I know I can't change that. I just want things to get better for us."

"Us?" Riven asked quietly. I nodded.

"Honestly, I don't think I deserve the manager position. I'm a good worker but I don't think I'm a good leader. I'm trying because I know it'll be good for us all," I began turning towards her with a grin. "That means you too. I don't want you to feel weird around here."

"I don't. Your family is very generous. I'm happy to be here," Riven said with a small smile.

"Happier here than... back there?"

The words seemed to echo in my head. They felt heavy as time seemed to freeze as Riven waited to answer. I waved my arm quickly.

"Nevermind, just ignore me. I'm just tired," I quickly added. She grabbed my hand.

"Riley..." she whispered as I looked away.

"It's getting late. Maybe I'll shower now," I said as she tugged on my arm. The pain rushed through me; she jerked her hand away quickly.

"That is a hard question to answer... I'm a champion... if we need everyone to be sent back that would include me..." Riven said. The aquarium filter was the loudest thing now. "Our worlds need to remain separate, no?"

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. "That's something I don't want to think about. My selfishness shouldn't be part of this."

"I'm not ecstatic about returning to a life of petty fighting... I wanted to fight for the Noxus I thought I was fighting for years ago. Now I barely remember each day as they all blend together," Riven said, slowly letting go. "I wanted to be part of the violence to end violence. I suppose that's a bit similar to you, in a way."

"Everyone has their own battles," I answered as she nodded.

"Yes... and I'm here to fight ours with you," Riven said, leaning into my chest. "I want time to stop. I want my blurry, mundane memories to be spent alongside you. I'm just... tired."

"Alright then. I suppose that doesn't matter... right now we're here, saving the world together," I said, grinning. "We'll make great memories. We'll cross those bridges when we get there... that's more my style anyway."

As I stared at the paused Persona game, I laid back, taking Riven with me. She had slowly drifted to sleep. I extended my bad arm outwards to grab a pillow to cover it as I noticed my shirt had a few wet spots. Either way, I closed my eyes and held Riven close. My brain was bustling with different thoughts like usual but, this time, most weren't able to dare keep me awake.

Instead, I slept the best I had in a good while.

* * *

"Hey, hey... calm down, princess. You don't have to get all defensive because you don't get to see your boyfriend today. Maybe you should've done your homework," I said, smirking cockily. Angie's face looked angrier.

"I don't need a lazy loser like you to lecture me. Just shut up," Angie said. After a few seconds, she spoke again. "Besides... some stupid kid kicked a soccer ball at me during lunch."

"No way, you're the one who hit the dean with the soccer ball?!" I asked, leaning forward. "Nevermind, that's pretty cool."

"So glad I got your approval, Rile- shit!" Angie sharply said before looking at Nicole. "I mean, darn."

"We were doing so good too... you suck at this," I said as Nicole laughed.

"At least we're doing alright. You barely messed up today, Angie," Nicole said, happily.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Angie asked, angrily.

"Means that you suck," I said as she moved her hand to hit me before stopping near my arm. I hadn't flinched so hard in a while. She crossed her arms angrily.

"Yeah, yeah. One little mistake and I get all the blame," Angie said, sarcastically.

"Hey, hey. It's hard to remember lines when you're so used to hating Riley, huh?" Greg said and Angie nodded excitedly.

"Yeah screw Riley... unless he buys us food," Angie exclaimed.

"Why do I always end up buying the food?" I sighed as she grinned.

"Cuz you're the best!" Angie said, in a cutesy voice. I glared towards her.

"Yeah, yeah. Greg, come with me, the rest of you guys can finish Angie's closeups while we go," I said, standing up.

"Why me," he asked, sighing.

"Get over it, I'm driving anyway, make yourself useless and carry some pizzas," I said as he stood up with me. I turned to Nicole. "Don't be afraid to force them to do things, if they don't, I don't mind having leftover food."

With that, I exited the room with my friend behind me. The school was mostly desolate aside from the occasional janitor. I crossed my arms behind my head as Greg walked alongside me.

"Nice to see your kingdom, huh?" I joked as he shook his head.

"Haha, funny," he sarcastically answered. "How's your arm?"

"Man, I took you along cause I figured you'd be dumb like always," I said as I stared at him. "It's fine. Still hurts like a bitch but I'll survive."

"It's funny; you complain less about a broken arm than you do about being ganked, it's a miracle," He joked as I nodded.

"Shitty jungler lost my lane when I play Vayne, happens 100% of the time," I said, clearly joking. I hadn't played Vayne much so I always fed horribly. "Whatever, I'm still the best."

"So how long has this exactly been happening?" Greg asked as we entered the car. The pizza place was walking distance from here but I didn't feel like walking through a campus with visible food. Teenagers could be like vultures.

"I don't remember. Since League went down, whenever that was," I said. He nodded. "Angie almost got hurt so I didn't want anyone else being involved."

"Yeah, I get that. I probably wouldn't have even believe it if I hadn't seen it," he said. "So about Riven... where does she stay?"

"M-my house," I said, as he looked towards me.

"She sleeps in-?"

"Yeah."

"So you're-"

"Hey look, pizza."

* * *

"How's the movie going?" My mom asked. It was one of those rare days we all were home together for dinner... well, Riven and I.

With the job promotion, it meant I had to work nights with Riven sometimes coming or staying home alone. Whether that, or us being out, or Nicole being somewhere, times like these were rare but welcomed. I looked around and nodded.

"Good, I think so," I began, looking over at Nicole. She nodded too.

"Yeah, I didn't know he was good at acting," she said as my mom agreed.

"No one really did," she said, laughing. She turned towards Riven. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, it is very good," Riven said, nodding. Riven ate slowly, which hopefully my parents didn't take as an offence.

"How's being the big boss?" My dad asked me as I sighed.

"I think I'm doing good. Nights suck, people get so impatient," I said, as he nodded.

"At least it's mostly mornings then, right?" He asked, as I nodded.

"How about you, Riven, like it there?" My mom asked, as she nodded quickly in response. "You're so quiet. Makes sense that you and Riley are friends."

"Everything is going very well, thank you," Riven said, folding her hands on her lap. "Thank you both for allowing me to live here."

"It's no problem. We trust our son enough to know he won't ask for something like this if it wasn't needed. We want you to feel at home here until everything works itself out," my mom said, as my dad nodded. "I hope Riley is taking care of you as well. God knows, when he feels like it, that room can become a mess."

"Hey, I'm the best host ever," I said, glaring at my mother, who waved me off.

"I know. I never thought I'd see you by the laundry machines as much as you have been," she said, laughing. "Seems like Riven's training you to be a good husband one day, huh? Something we should know?"

"Nicole, pass me the soda," I quickly said. My cup was empty so my evasive 'raise the glass so I couldn't respond' technique was not available. My mother laughed as Riven stared at me.

"You're very thirsty when asked questions," she said, as I almost choked and glared at her. She giggled as slowly looked around. Her face changed as she looked at me again.

"Serious?" I whispered, as she nodded slowly. Nicole looked at me, worriedly. As Riven sat beside me, my worries became solidified as her sword began to appear around her waist. This couldn't be a coincidence, not around my parents... why now? I stood up and both my parents stared at me. "We need to go do something, I completely forgot."

"What? What is it?" My mom asked, in a very confused voice. Her eyes widened. "W-what's that?"

'Freaking great...'

I slowly turned around to see a massive creature walking through the parking lot, looking around. The size and color made it easy to identify. Riven looked at me as she stood up. Both my parents eyes shifted to her weapon. As Riven stood, Cho'Gath's head seem to lock on to our balcony and he began to move towards us.

"Leave this to me," Riven said, as she ran to the glass door. "Protect them."

"Yeah, right. You're not going there alone, it's us he wants," I said, as my mother grabbed my right arm, instantly stopping me.

"You're not going near that... that thing," my mom said, as my dad stood up.

"Where is she going?" He asked as I retook my arm. Riven slid the glass door open and climbed onto the metal railing. "Is she crazy?!"

"No... ugh," I began, wincing at the pain from my arm. "Only we can stop him, I gotta go with her."

"Are you stupid? You're not going anywhere!" My mom exclaimed, angrily. Nicole stood up and moved beside me.

"Mom... Dad... he has to go... Riven needs him," Nicole said, quietly. "This... happened before and they kept me safe... they keep us all safe."

"What are you two talking about? None of this makes any sense," my father sighed. I looked towards the balcony and both Riven and Cho'Gath had vanished. I began to move as my mom grabbed my shirt.

"I'll explain after just..." I began as her grip loosened. "Riven'll get seriously hurt alone. I need to be with her right now."

My family stayed quiet; I spoke again.

"You said you trusted me... so trust me now," I said, as she slowly let go. She nodded slowly and wiped her face from a few loose tears.

"At least... take the stairs," my mom said, as I nodded.

"Just stay here, no matter what," I said, running towards the door.

* * *

The humid air made me drenched from running the short distance from my door to the car trunk. I held the blue sword in my left hand as I looked around for any sign of Riven or Cho'gath. I continued moving.

"Riven!" I shouted, as my mind focused on finding her. "Where is she..."

"Summoner," I heard a familiar voice say. I looked towards the source as the Will of the Blades stared at me. She moved closer. "I sensed a bigger sensation than usual... where's Riven?"

"She went on ahead. It's Cho'Gath," I said as she nodded slightly. "I have to get to her."

"What happened to you?" Irelia asked as I shook my head.

"Nothing important. Are you gonna help me?" I asked as she looked slightly offended. "Don't give me that. You have a tendency to run off for other things."

"I have a responsibility to protect my people; they come first to me," Irelia said, defensively.

"Yeah, I get that. You know I'm trying to help your world I have no reason to help, right?" I began. I shook my head quickly. "It doesn't matter right now... please help me find her."

"I will help you, I know you mean well," Irelia began, grabbing my right hand. She began to run as I held back more tears than I had when I was a baby.

We headed towards the canals behind the apartment buildings, where we had found Gnar. Riven must've forced him towards a place he wouldn't cause any damage. Irelia let go of me as we spotted them. I gripped the sword as I looked towards the Ionian.

"Attack from behind, I'll do what I do best," I said, with a grin. Irelia stared at me, confused. "Distraction."

"If you say so, I'll follow your lead," Irelia said, as her blades began to follow her raised hands.

"Yo, Cho, why are you acting like that? I used to summon you all the time a year ago, you already forgot the good times?" I shouted as I ran towards the void creature. I locked eyes with Riven, who looked tired. She must've been dodging ruptures like crazy. Her sword remained broken; she had only been keeping him busy. "Maybe I shouldn't have, you're kinda ugly in person."

Irelia moved across from Riven and we formed a triangle around the very large creature. It was hard to see how big he was during League's top-down view but he was able to see into our apartment, which was on the second floor. Cho'gath turned towards me and stomped his foot. I felt the ground under me rumble as I dashed to my side. A few spike looking things emerged from the ground as I sighed in relief.

'Alright, just keep away from his mouth and I'll be fine,' I thought as Riven and Irelia moved forward. Riven moved her sword higher as it began to glow with energy while Irelia's swords widened like the wide, teary eyes of ADC's around the world when she dashed towards them.

"Just return to Valoran, this doesn't have to get violent," Irelia said as the creature move towards me.

"Keep your distance," Riven said, standing in front of me.

The red void creature released his Feral Scream, giving me a nearly splitting headache. Irelia moved towards Riven and seemed to say something to her, which I couldn't hear. Riven nodded as they both ran forward, and each went a separate direction. Riven began to swing her sword and body, continuing to move each time as Irelia moved behind him, dashing forward and beginning to swing her swords. This seemed too easy for them... whenever Cho'gath turned towards Irelia, Riven would stun him and regain his attention. He stomped his foot and both champions move away... the ground beneath me rumbled.

"Crap," I said, moving back. He began to walk towards me as both women moved towards him again. He swung his arms at them, knocking them away. He was just waiting for the right moment to corner me... and it was worked. I held my sword weakly.

"Riley, run!" Riven shouted as I tried to move away. He was close enough to block my way with his arms. I had to think... he had one powerful move I had to somehow stop.

"I'll be fine," I said, as I gulped. Maybe I was lying this time.

Cho'gath moved closer and his head suddenly moved towards me. I had one shot at this... I moved my arm upwards and closed my eyes.

"Irelia, move, hurry," I heard Riven say, as I opened my eyes. I saw my arm surrounded by sharp teeth... holding my sword upwards in his closing mouth. Riven and Irelia stood behind him. Riven swung her sword, releasing her wind slash. It cut through the monster... but it wasn't enough just yet... I felt my sword get heavier.

"Eat this!" I said, unleashing the energy. The void monster let out a loud roar as he fell to the ground... and on top of me. Irelia moved to my side as Riven stopped her.

"No, leave him," she said, as my eyes widened. "This is punishment for that awful line you just said."

"C'mon... don't be that way."


	24. Movie Magic

**Hello everyone, here is chapter 24. I have no excuse but I just couldn't get myself to write at all. I'm upset at what happened during worlds this year, all Cloud 9 had to do was not lose one game _**

**I got to gold in ranked though so that's pretty cool. Guess I'm not the worst support ever. I will try to write more... but with Fallout 4 coming out tomorrow... I'll be lucky to even walk into work.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

After a very strange talk I never expected to have with my parents, I had a boring day of work to get my mind straight on everything. No longer could I count on the time to stop, everyone around me seemed to get involved lately. I felt very confused today and not in the mood to deal with people at all, which apparently showed as I sat across from my boss at the end of the shift.

"What's with you today?" Carla asked me. I shrugged.

"Nothing, you know how I feel about running my shifts," I said, sharply.

"I don't mean that, you're acting different today," she said, as I looked around. "I've already given up on asking for good times."

"Nothing... just stuff going on at home," I lied, sighing for effect. "Don't worry about it, I'll do better tomorrow."

"If you need to talk to any of us, just say so," she began. "I need you to be the best, I know you can be."

"Yeah but with that massive raise, I think I'm working fine," I added, full of sarcasm. She nearly smacked me but walked away instead. I sighed as Riven moved to sit beside me. "Why is everyone getting involved all of a sudden?"

"I cannot answer that. All we can do is protect everyone," Riven said, as I nodded. I stood up as Riven did the same.

"I suppose so… saving our world is starting to feel like another job," I said, turning towards the door. "Let's get going, I need another nap."

"But you took one this morning while Ms. Carla stepped out," Riven said, as I cringed. Carla glared at me as I turned my head. I let out a forced laugh and put one arm around Riven.

"Haha, good one," I said, loudly. I quickly dragged Riven outside. "Don't say that while she's around, that ruins my trick. Plus, I wasn't sleeping, I was focusing hard."

That excuse didn't work during high school and, by the look of Riven's face, it didn't work now.

* * *

"Seriously?" I asked, as I found myself parked outside of a plaza I almost never came to. "I hate you."

"C'mon man, help me out? It's not hard to get a good deck," my friend said.

"I haven't played this in forever, even if I had cards, I wouldn't know what to do," I signed as he grinned.

"I'll teach you both. It's not that hard to start," my friend, Josh, said. "I know the Firehouse Chief won't let me down."

"Fine... But don't expect anything out of us," I said, as we got out of the car. I stared at the card shop for a second and remembered my days of playing Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pokemon cards as a kid. If only it was those games...

"What is this 'Magic' thing your friend kept saying of?" Riven asked, as she looked towards him. "Is he a wizard?"

"Don't get him going," I warned. "It's a card game."

"Card game? What kind of game?" Riven asked as we walked behind Josh.

"Fighting with monsters and spells and stuff, I haven't played it," I said, scratching my head. "Well, kinda. I played like a year ago, when he tried to show me how it was, didn't get into it though."

"And he needs help with what?" Riven asked, as I shrugged.

"Some local tournament to win some rare card or something," I said, as Josh nodded.

"Yep, and what better way to win than to have multiple chances," He said, grinning. I nodded.

"That's a good tactic," I agreed as he opened the door. Everyone looked at us as we maneuvered through the shop, evading the people, tables and backpacks as we walked up to the shop owner and the other worker there. "Hey guys, my friends here want to get into the game."

"Oh, the more people the better," the older man said. "What are they thinking of?"

"What?" I asked, as Josh turned to me.

"Colors. Jim makes good white or black aggressive decks and Nick likes the more control oriented decks," Josh said, looking at me. "Probably white or red seems like your colors."

"White is more creature focused, and we can add another color if you want," the man said. "I can make a decent deck for thirty, fourty dollars."

"Yeah... that sounds reasonable... if I know card games at all," I said, nodding. "I think white and green."

"Thanks again for this, I promise you'll have fun," Josh said, as Riven talked with the other guy. "Nick plays in tournaments professionally but I think control isn't gonna be your style."

"Yeah, I'll win or lose like a warrior," I said, sitting down across from the shop owner. "Alright, let's make the best deck ever."

* * *

"I'll full swing," I said, positioning all my creatures to attack. Riven held a few cards and had less creatures on the field, this was a clear win for me... probably. Riven looked around at the table as held two cards on her right hand. She swung her land cards sideways.

"This card lets me return a monster to your hand," she said, pointing at one of my strongest creatures. She pointed at another creature. "And this makes my creature stronger and have to fight one of your creatures."

"What the- this game sucks," I said, lowering my head. Josh laughed.

"She had mana open and spells. You have some protection spells too but summoned another creature instead," he said, as I sighed. "It's a mind game, you never know what they're gonna be holding. Could be another land card or a game changer."

"That's no fun," I said, jokingly. Riven stared at Josh.

"Did I win?" She asked as he nodded.

"Well, not this turn unless Riley draws something amazing," he said, picking up the next card on the deck and shook his head. "Yep, you won."

"Her deck is so much better," I said, standing up. I grinned. "I like this so far.. if I'm going to win, it'll be with this."

"Sounds good, it has potential but you had no answers this time," he said as I grabbed the cards. Remember, there's still some luck involved."

"And luck is a skill. Alright, so we'll be here tuesday then," I said, as Josh handed each of us an unopened pack of cards. "Huh... thanks."

"Let's get going, I have to work in a few hours," Josh said, as I nodded. "Maybe those packs'll be what you need."

"Didn't you say you worked at four?" I asked as he nodded. I grabbed my phone. "It's three fifty."

"Eh, they'll figure out I'm late."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Riven asked, as I buttoned up my shirt.

"Nicole has a thing at school. Her group is showing a movie they made," I said, looking towards her. She was waiting for the bathroom so she could change. After that, my mother and us would go pick up Angie and head towards the school. "Not the one we're doing. I've always wondered how she's doing there."

"What do you mean?" Riven asked me.

"Well, she never asked me for help before this and I usually had to work when her showings were. I never actually got to see one," I said, sitting on my computer chair.

"It's very nice to see how much you care for your sister. You will make a good father someday," she said, as I turned away.

"Yeah, hopefully someday," I said, shaking the mouse quickly. 'You don't just say that!'

"Is your father coming?" She asked, as I shook my head.

"No, he's working on something. It happens sometimes, he couldn't come to my band concerts sometimes," I said, as I browsed the usual sites for me. Riot had ended up guessing it was a cyber attack of sorts, as when champions returned, their data became accessible again. That was a fine cover for now, I guessed.

Another article said they would be able to use their offline mode for competitive matches on the last patch... which was a relief. I guess we had no real time frame then, the professional players and organizations would continue to have jobs. It ended with apologies that this couldn't happen with the public servers and that they had a surprise for everyone when the servers were fixed.

"Well, at least I'll have something to watch during the weekends still..." I said to myself. Who knows, maybe Cloud 9 will win worlds this year... right? My thoughts shifted back to Irelia... this wasn't some sort of game for us.

"What is the matter?" Riven asked me, as I turned towards her.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," I said, yawning. "Just some peace of mind."

"Good. You deserve it," She said, standing up. She picked up a bag from the side of the bed and headed towards the door. "I'm going to change now."

"What's that?" I asked, pointing at the bag.

"Angie gave this to me. She said to wear it today," Riven said, lifting the bag. "It is very light."

"Uhh... okay," I said, hoping Angie wasn't tricking Riven into lingerie or something. I stood up and went into the living room, where my mom was waiting. She sat down and looked at me, beginning to talk.

"So is the girl you were telling me about Riven?" She asked, referring to when we bought the camera for Nicole. I nodded.

"All of them have to return... including her," I said, sitting across from her. "We're trying to not think about it."

"I see... I've been thinking about this... situation ever since you explained it yesterday. If I hadn't seen it for myself, I would've sent you to a psychiatrist," she said, quietly. "Nicole is not in danger, right?"

"No, they appear randomly it's just that Riven can sense them," I began. "Riven can defeat them and I can send them back. It sounds stupid but I've played that game long enough to know most of their weaknesses."

Even so, my usual technique of just farm when behind wouldn't work here so it was up to Riven to be the best Riven NA… and me to not get in the way.

"So just try not to worry, alright? I'm okay," I said, in the best reassuring tone I could do. She nodded.

"Remember, we didn't risk everything to come to this country for you to get hurt by a bunch of monsters. We always said that," my mom said. A joke was strange by her but I laughed nonetheless. I heard a door open.

"W-Wow… I," I stammered as my mom pushed my shoulder.

"Don't stare at her like that, say something, idiot!" she said, saying the last word in Spanish for added effect. She looked forward. "You look beautiful, Riven."

"Thank you," she said, with a small smile. I thought that was an understatement; Angie, for an ex-girlfriend, had given her black dress. It wasn't too flash; it was simple, knee length, and the flashiest accessory was dark gray sash that went around her waist. It made me realize how crazy everything was. I wasn't controlling her from a top-down view; she was beside me, fighting alongside me as a partner. "Should we head out soon?"

"Y-Yeah, let's go," I said quickly, snapping back to reality.

* * *

Coming back to my middle school was always a pleasant experience. Nicole's communications teacher was my teacher once so it was always nice to speak with her. We followed the crowd towards the school and Riven stared around as Angie pulled me towards her.

"Best wingwoman ever right? Bet you wanna just rip that dress off her, huh?" she whispered, as I sighed.

"I need to start carrying a water bottle to spray you when you misbehave," I said, as she smirked.

"I'll take that as a yes," Angie proudly said. "Where's Nicole, anyway?"

"She stayed after school. The teachers usually do some kind of party," I said, remembering how it all worked. Usually with the band, we couldn't eat anything sugary because it'd damage the instruments but it was always fun to hang out.

"So now your mom knows too, huh?" Angie asked, as I nodded.

"Yep. There shouldn't be way too many left though. We burned through most of them in the past months," I said. Most of those happened to be more peaceful champions, what remained could be more challenging. "Hopefully nothing happens tonight…"

"Isn't that jinxing it?" Angie asked as I shook my head.

"No, Jinx probably wouldn't be a problem," I said, as we entered the auditorium. I remember being part of a lucky class; the school was completely rebuilt and we moved to the new campus halfway into 6th grade. We stood in a group as everyone lined up.

"There are so many people here," Riven said, staring around. I nodded.

"Yeah, every kid probably brought four or five people," I said, as she looked at me.

"Will there be enough room?" she asked as Angie nodded.

"Yeah, this place is huge. It always gets packed though, they probably make hella cash," Angie said, grinning. I glared at her.

"Stop saying hella before I go back in time and shoot you," I said, sighing. Riven stared at me in confusion. "Joke. She's being dumb."

"Thank you for the outfit," Riven said as Angie's face beamed with glee. She hugged Riven.

"I'm glad, I thought you would love it," Angie said, as we neared the front of the line. I grabbed a pamphlet as I handed the woman four tickets.

"Four for Nicole Gonzalez," I said, as she nodded. The woman flipped a page and put a check mark near the top of the page. Most events had pre-orders for tickets that were a reduced price. She nodded and waved her hand.

"Thank you for coming, enjoy," she said, as she looked behind us. "Can I help who's next?"

"When is Nicole going?" my mother asked as I skimmed the pamphlet.

"Almost last. We got a while before she goes," I said, as we walked into the auditorium's main room. Hundreds of seats were before us with scattered groups of people sitting near each other.

We all moved towards the front and sat near the edge of the row, with Riven and I at the end of the row. I stretched my arms and yawned. Angie jabbed my side, instantly lowering my arms. I smacked her lightly.

"Bad girl, off the couch," I said, as she barked. People stared as I looked away. "Seriously, you're the worst."

"You mean the best?" She said, as she looked around. "This looks hella legit."

"It's nice, right? Gives them the real experience," I said, ignoring Angie's choice of words. "Wanna go walk around?"

"Won't your mother mind?" Riven asked, as my mom leaned forward.

"Don't worry about me. I won't go anywhere," she said, chuckling. I stood up. "Have fun, remember it starts in twenty minutes."

"Yeah, we'll be back before then," I said, as I tilted my head towards the door. "Let's go."

I walked down the faintly lit aisle. Both girls followed me quietly, which was weird in itself. The only time Angie was silent was when she was driving and not at a red light. We ended up back at the main entrance and into the warm courtyard of the school. It was a beautiful campus compared to the original one.

"This looks better than my high school," Angie said, as we sat on one of the benches. "Heck, it's nicer than my college."

"It's pretty nice," I said, looking up at the bridge that connected the eighth and sixth grade buildings.

"Why are there different levels of schooling?" Riven asked, as I shrugged.

"No idea. There are some schools that are for all twelve grades. I never really thought about why," I said, as Angie looked over at me.

"You never think about anything," She said, as I glared at her. She nodded her head. "Isn't that Nicole?"

"Riley, is that you?" the woman said. I waved slowly and stood up. The teacher gave me a quick hug as the rest of her class moved into the building. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good, how about you?" I said, turning my head slightly. "This is Riven and this is Angie. They came to watch too."

"Nice to meet you girls, hope your keeping this slacker out of trouble," the woman said, looking behind her.

"Impossible. He's the worst," Angie said, smirking as the woman began to walk.

"Tell your mother to come find me after this, okay? Nice meeting you girls," she said, heading back to her kids quickly. I sighed and shook my head.

"Good to know even my teachers have confidence in me," I joked as Angie grinned. Riven looked around as the last of the people entered the auditorium. "We should head inside, I think it's starting."

"Yeah, Nicole would hate if we missed it," Angie said, as she stood up. I followed and turned to Riven, who remained seated. "I'll leave you two lovebirds alone then."

"Everything alright?" I asked, as Riven nodded. I sat back down beside her as I yawned. "Why am I tired again, all I do is sleep."

"Heh… that's true," Riven said, leaning onto my shoulder. "I am also tired. I have been all day."

"Maybe you're still sick," I said, as she slowly stood up. I followed her.

"Perhaps. Let's go, this means alot to Nicole," she said, as she pulled me towards the auditorium.

"Yeah… you can have tomorrow off. You need the rest," I said, as I walked with Riven's arm coiled around mine. She stared at me in confusion.

"Don't you need me?" Riven asked.

"Of course they do but I'd rather you be healthy," I said, smiling. "You can work another day."

"I don't want to risk being like this when a champion appears…" Riven said, as we entered the main room of the auditorium. I looked around… And had a thought. I began to walk towards another direction. "Where are we going?"

"Oh, somewhere secret," I said, as I slowly opened a door, while looking around.

I walked slowly, holding my phone as a makeshift flashlight as we climbed a spiral staircase.

"I used to come here randomly after school. Sometimes to help out and sometimes to just hang out," I said, as I opened the final door. "Ta-da."

"Huh… woah," Riven said, tightening her hold on my arm. She looked towards the front, where we had a sky view of the projector and crowd. I felt my phone vibrate. "This looks great."

Angie had texted me, asking where we were. I replied to look up towards the back and waved as she looked. My mom turned with her as she texted back; I put my phone in my pocket and an arm around Riven.

"Your heart is beating fast. Is everything alright?" she asked, as I nodded. She buried her head onto my shoulder. "Good."

My eyes were glued to the projector screen. These kids were talented… I was eager to see Nicole's work. No matter where she would end up going to school, I knew she would be successful… unlike her brother. Her loser brother.

"Why are you sad?" Riven asked, snapping me back to reality.

"I'm not, why do you ask?" I asked, forcing a chuckle.

"Oh… I had a strange feeling then. No reason then," she said, as we sat down. Our feet hung high above the rest of the families who would never notice us here. "I do not want you sad. You are too good of a person to be upset."

"Riven…" I began, quietly. "I think I need to change. For the better."

"I will support you. It'll just be another fight for us, together," she said, as I nodded slightly.

"Thanks."


	25. Shopping With The Girls Again

**Hello my fav people ever! Here is a bigger than usual chapter, hope everything is good. Happy holidays to everyone and a happy new year (unless I give a Christmas chapter ;) **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I lowered my head in defeat… Again. I stared at my cards and sighed. My luck hadn't been with me lately, I had lost four games in a row against Riven. For a champion that did not rely on mana, she was very good at Magic.

"Gah, this is gonna go terribly," I sighed. Riven stared at me blankly as she lifted up my cards.

"Why did you not use this?" she asked, flipping a card. "Instead of summoning another creature, you could've destroyed one of mine and regained life."

"Huh… what!?" I exclaimed, staring at the card. She was 100% right. All I had to do was think. I moved my hand towards her cards.

"N-no, trust me, that would've worked," she said, laughing…. oddly. I moved towards the cards again and she jerked her hand back. "Do you want to play another game? Maybe Arena?"

"Yeah, sure…" I said, snatching the cards when she lowered her guard. "You had a counter ready! I would've lost no matter what!"

"S-Still… heh," she said, as I glared at her.

"That's it," I said, slapping down the card from my hand. "I play this. Now, we fight!"

After quickly moving the little table, I pounced on Riven, lightly pinning her against the side of the mattress. She smirked as she climbed up onto the bed, standing on her knees.

"Then we fight here, loser falls to their death," she said, with an exaggerated dramatic voice, grabbing a pillow. "Your sword skills have improved but you're no match for me yet."

"Your cockiness will be your downfall," I said, grabbing my own pillow. I stood across from her on the battlefield, armed and with the intent to… smother. "I'll give you one chance to give up."

"Yeah, I don't think so," She said, swinging her pillow at me. I raised my pillow up and blocked her attack. I weakly swung back as she defended herself easily.

"You won't get anywhere if you don't try," Riven said, smirking. I raised the pillow close to me; as if any of this was part of my real strategy. She swung her pillow with force, and I pushed mine forward. She staggered and I tackled her, using the pillow as a ram. "W-What? That's no fair!"

"All's fair in love and war, Riven," I said, laying on top of her with the pillow in between us.

"Love?" she said, turning her head away slightly. She bit her lip slightly.

"S-Sorry, it's a saying here," I said, quickly. She turned back.

"Do you not love me then?" she asked, quietly. I pushed myself up.

"That's not what I mea-"

Now, I was pinned.

* * *

Spending the entire day sleeping was every working adults dream. I laid on my side, staring at my fish tank as the dark fish swam around the large,white fish. I stared at my phone; it was almost one in the morning. I sat up and felt a blast of cold as I exited the comfort of my blankets.

"No, I don't want to work yet…" Riven said, groggily. I smirked and stretched my arms.

"We still have seven hours," I said, as she slowly sat up. "We slept for so long, hope no one needed anything."

"The knocks would wake us up," Riven said, sitting up beside me. She leaned her head on my shoulder. "You needed the rest anyway."

"Was that your plan all along?" I asked as she nodded jokingly. "That was a cheap shot, by the way."

"Yeah, you're one to talk," Riven said, sarcastically. She looked towards the window. "Irelia is near."

"She shows up at the strangest times…" I said, yawning. "Let's go then."

"I need to get dressed," Riven said, as I nodded.

"Alright, princess. I'll wait outside," I said, jokingly.

Grabbing a set of clothes from the pile of clean clothes I was too lazy to sort, I headed for the door. After changing and throwing the other clothes into the laundry hamper, I sat down at the dinner table.

'Wonder what I did wrong today?' I thought. All my encounters with Irelia lately involved her telling me I wasn't taking it seriously. After a minute, Riven came outside, dressed in her original clothing, which she always preferred to wear without the pieces of armor. "Ready?"

"Yes," She said, as I stood up. We began to head towards the door. "Keep your guard up. Three of us will be hard for nearby champions to ignore."

"Alright, don't worry," I said, closing the door very slowly. The last thing I needed was parental questioning.

We headed towards the car, grabbed my sword, and began to head towards the playground, which seemed to be Irelia's preferred meeting point. Riven carried my sword, hidden from sight from any person that could be awake. Riven's senses were on point as usual; we approached Irelia, who stood up as we neared her.

"Hello Riven, Summoner," she said, looking at us respectively. I sighed.

"Riley is fine. How have you been?" I asked, preparing for that to be the wrong answer.

"I have been alright. I wanted to speak with the two of you over a few things," she said. She looked around. "Can we go somewhere more private?"

"Uhh… what?" I asked, staring at Riven. She shook her head.

"We can speak just fine here," Riven said, crossing her arms. "We cannot return home with you, his family would more than likely wake up."

"I see. I do not want to speak here," she said, looking around. She sighed. "I was needing help… Blending in here. My clothing limits me from finding my people."

"Are… You hungry?" I asked, grinning. She stared at me with a weird stare. I shrugged. "Hey, I'll help, just don't get mad at me for not trying."

"I apologize. I spoke out of impulse… But yes, I am hungry," she said, getting quieter as the sentence went on.

"Heh… Well, it's still risky to make something at home. I know just the place though."

* * *

My life had become strange, hadn't it? I never expected to have a license or car a few years ago but now I had two women from a video game riding with me. Deciding I wasn't going to sleep till work, we ended up going to a 24 hour diner. Riven and Irelia followed behind me, covered with striped jackets I had laying around. I ended up also grabbing and changing into my work clothing, keeping the shirt unbuttoned.

"Five more hours," I sighed, staring at my phone. We sat down at a booth, led by a woman in uniform. "Caaaaan't wait."

"How has everything been going?" Irelia asked, staring across the booth at me.

"Alright. How have you been?" I asked, as she sighed.

"No luck. I can't seem to find anyone besides hostile champions," she said, crossing her arms. "I can't risk fighting so I stay hidden."

"Wise choice. You're a reliable ally when needed," Riven said, as the woman set down three cups of coffee. "Thank you."

"Oh, no problem, dear. I'll give you three a second to decide and I'll be right back," she said, smiling. "I know it's packed tonight but I won't ignore ya'll."

The second she walked away, Irelia stared at me.

"I do not see many people here," she said, as I rubbed my eye.

"It's just a joke. Order whatever sounds good," I said, as she stared at the menu. "How have you been eating then?"

"I found currency and purchased food. That took a while though, it is not very reliable," she said. I nodded.

"Well, yeah. I'll help you after we eat then, we can get some clothes," I said. She bowed her head slightly.

"Thank you, I appreciate it," she said. Riven turned to her.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" she asked as Irelia stared upwards.

"Well… when Riley and I spoke privately, I said things out of impulse and frustration," Irelia began. "I can't rush him as much as I can't rush my own endeavors. I wanted to apologize for that."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," I said. I smiled slightly. "I'd rather have you on our side."

"Yes, I would too," she said, making a sour face as she drank from the cup. I passed her a bunch of sugar packets.

"Just dump a bunch of those in there," I said. I preferred my coffee to be 60% sugar since it was rarely to stay awake… like it might be needed for later.

A few minutes later, our food arrived after we ordered it. Irelia and I had gotten a breakfast meal while Riven got pancakes. Irelia stared quietly as Riven covered the poor pancake in a sea of sticky syrup.

"After this, we'll go get you some clothes," I said, as she nodded. "Although I don't think my parents would appreciate another champion living with us."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I will be alright," she said, biting into her meal. Her eyes lit up for a second. "This is delicious."

"I haven't come here in a long time, I forgot how good breakfast food is," I said, as Riven nodded. "We figured it out. There's… about fourty champions left counting you."

"Really?" she asked, as I nodded, grabbing my phone.

"We made a list from what we could remember," I said, staring at the small screen where I noted it down. "As far as we know, these are who remains."

"I see. We will continue our efforts as we have been," she said, nodding confidently.

The conversation slowly died down as we all began to focus on eating. Irelia ate very calmly, whether it was how she usually ate or her comfortability with us. I guessed the latter, as I swore Cho'Gath next time me devoured her pancakes as if she hadn't eaten in weeks. I yawned as the woman behind the counter began to head towards the tables to clean them.

"Four and a half more hours," I said, sighing. "I already want to go home."

"Do you dislike your job?" Irelia asked me as I shrugged slightly.

"Not really, just not where I pictured myself in life," I said, leaning back. "Hopefully things will change eventually."

"They will," Riven said, as I nodded. "You said you wanted a change."

"You two seem very trusting of each other," Irelia said, with a faint smile.

The two women began to chat about various things while I stared at my plate. I began to think; I had played as Irelia way more than Riven during the years I played… Riven had been the first champion I refunded because I didn't like her at first. Why was she here with me, instead of any other champion? Why was I attracted to he and vice versa? Irelia didn't seem to be the keeper of answers like I had thought… she was just making logical guessed like the rest of us. I drank the dark nectar as I focused back on their conversation.

"Are you two planning on having children then?" Irelia asked, as I stared at her blankly.

"What? Where did this come from?"

* * *

The next fourteen hours went like this: Irelia asked questions about our relationship as Riven answered them, despite me hoping she wouldn't sometimes, after that we took Irelia to a superstore since nowhere else was open and bought her one outfit till the night when we'd go back out. Now, I sat on the comfortable chair in the messy office as the night manager counted the safe with me. I yawned as Carla smacked the back of my head.

"Ugh, why are you still here?" I asked, groggily. She looked at me with a serious face. "What'd I do?"

"You alone have us fifteen hours over on labor," she said, angrily.

"Hey, it's been busy. Ask anyone-" I began as she cut me off.

"This isn't a game. This is what the owners expect us to do," she said, as I sighed.

"They'll get over it. We make so much money, paying two kids like, 50 dollars won't have any of us starving," I said, crossing my arms. "We needed the help. I'm only one person and they refuse to have two managers at any time. Things won't be smooth with two employees running the whole place."

"Honestly, my only concern with you was your attitude. I thought you would take this seriously," she said, in a pissed tone. I stood up.

"Fine, whatever. I'll work the freaking store completely alone for the next two weeks," I said, grabbing a piece of paper. Carla reached for my arm but I quickly moved towards the steel prep table.

"What's gotten into you?" she said, as I signed the paper.

"These new owners are horrible. I'm not putting up with this anymore," I said, leaning down again. I added Riven's name.

"You're… not serious, are you?" she asked as I shook my head.

"I am. I would've loved this a year ago… but these new people are destroying this place," I said, handing her the paper.

"You don't care, do you?" she asked as I sighed and turned to the man counting the safe.

"If that's all you wanna hear, sure," I said. "It's good right?"

"Yep, it's perfect. I'll see you tomorrow then," the man said, whom I previously hated but had become a good friend.

"Give me your keys," Carla said, extending her arm. "Take this week off."

"Alright, making the sixty two year old manager have to cover me cause you don't listen," I said, handing her the keys. I patted the other man on the back and waved slightly. "I was hoping you'd be civil. Goodbye, I guess."

I took off the dress shirt and headed towards the computer terminal where Riven stood waiting. I clocked out for possibly the last time and faced the Noxian. I couldn't help but be relieved, in a way. I leaned forward and kissed her.

"Is everything alright?" Riven asked as I nodded with a smile.

"Everything is great. Things are changing," I said, as she nodded with her own smile.

"Good, you deserve it," she repeated. I grabbed her hand and we walked towards the car. "What happened?"

"We don't work here anymore,' I said, as she nodded. "I'd rather make less and be happy again."

"What next?" she asked as I quickly began to drive home.

"My parents. I can get a new job pretty easily but they definitely need to know," I said, as she nodded again.

"Today has been an eventful day," Riven said. She must've been tired, she had also been awake for almost twenty hours now. "Are you up for tonight then?"

"Yeah, a promise is a promise," I said, as I yawned. "After a power nap."

"Power nap?" she asked, as I grinned.

"Yeah, just a fancy word for a nap."

* * *

"Here put this one, this'll make guys crazy," Angie said, as I hung my head. I sat on the usual 'guy bench' at the woman's section of clothing. "Go, go!"

"But I-," Irelia began as Angie dragged her away. She looked towards Riven, who followed them with folded clothing in her arms. "Riven, help me."

"I cannot," Riven said, looking away. "She is… Too determined."

"Knowing that one day Irelia will thank me for my fashion sense," she began, grinning. "It fills me with determination."

"Last time I recommend her a game…" I said, sighing with a smirk.

My instinct was to ask Angie to help us like before. The conversation with my mother had gone very well. She freaked out for a second and then began to scold me for never saying what I really want. After comparing my stubbornness to my father's, she was ultimately happy. I told her the changes made my attitude change and I just wasn't happy there anymore. The conversation ended with her telling me that she told me so about going back to school.

"Snap out of it, loser," Angie said, clapping her hands in front of me. "Think we're good."

"Huh… oh, alright," I said, standing up. Angie handed me my card as I stared at her. "Wait, I never gave you my card…"

"Riven gave it to me…" Angie said, innocently. She handed me my wallet. "Take this too."

"God, don't make me have to change my pin, I love my pin," I sighed as she smirked.

"Calm down, I'm fine with my own identity," Angie said, as Irelia and Riven came towards us, holding a few bags. "It wasn't that bad. Just like last time."

"Thank you very much, Lady Angie," Irelia said, bowing her head. I looked at Irelia.

"Lady?" I asked, as she nodded. "You're the worst person."

"Heh, I am a lady," Angie said, puffing her cheeks.

"Is this fine then?" I asked, as she nodded.

"This is more than enough," Irelia said, as Angie stared at me.

"No," I said, sighing. "You can live two hours without eating."

"Are you going to deny my human rights?" she asked, as we went into the main area of the mall.

"I'm unemployed, I need to conserve money," I retorted with a tiny smirk

"Really?" Angie asked, seriously.

"What, no. We have enough for a while," I said, laughing. "Let's go somewhere. Somewhere with coffee."

As much as I didn't like the mall, it wasn't that bad during the weekdays. We headed to the food court and I walked around with everyone who wanted different food. It was good to see Irelia comfortable when a day ago, I thought she hated us. It was nice to sit down again, I was so low on energy still.

"This week off is gonna be great," I said, stretching my arms. Angie crossed her arms. "Exactly what I needed."

"Everything will be alright, Riley?" Irelia asked. She chuckled a bit. "Nevermind, you seem like you over think things. I doubt you do not have a plan."

"Actually, I don't this time… but I think I'll find something, don't worry about us," I said, yawning.

"You should've slept, this isn't good for you," Angie said, glaring at me.

"Yeah, doubt I'll get better sleep going back to sleep," I said, shaking my head. "School. Back to school."

"We should return home after this," Riven said. She hadn't said much today but, then again, she was with the other girls while I sat on my island.

"Yeah but at this point, I should stay up for a bit and not mess up my sleep cycle," I said. I snatched some fries from Angie.

"Why are you looking for certain people?" Angie asked Irelia.

"I have to protect my own people. Our world is full of tension between… that doesn't matter, really. Ultimately, everyone must return but I'd sleep better knowing the people close to me are safe," Irelia said. Riven's head tilted towards her quickly.

"Yeah, that makes sense. Heh, sorry, I barely know anything about your world," Angie said, as Irelia waved her off. Angie's eyes shone. "Come stay with me!"

"Wha- Are you crazy?" I asked, as she shook her head. "I don't think your parents would be too thrilled with another person living there."

"Maybe… but one night won't matter," Angie said, glaring at me. "Maybe you should move out and have some sort of champion refugee home."

"You know what… No," I said, as she prepared to argue with me as a bunch of teenage kids stared at our table of freaks.

* * *

"Hurry," Riven said, as I followed her up the stairs.

"Make a right up here, the storage area has a ladder to the roof," I said, as she nodded. She grabbed the handle and it shook, making a rattling noise. I kneeled down and waved at Riven to kneel. "C'mere."

"Huh?" she asked, as I put my hand near her ear, taking a bobby pin from her hair.

"Good thing you use these," I said, bending it. "And that I played way too much Fallout."

After a few seconds, the door opened, which was an amazement to both of us. Riven grabbed the ladder and looked at me.

"I need to go first, just in case but…" she said, looking away. "Don't look up."

"Huh?...oh, right," I said, laughing slightly. "I've seen you in less anyway."

"Hey, be quiet. Focus on this," she said, smirking.

We quickly climbed the ladder and stood on the top of the three story building. The heavy wind blew as the graying clouds covered the sky. It was cold but Riven, with more revealed skin and her skirt, remained vigilant. I held the sword loosely as we walked forward. Riven extended her arm, stopping me.

"Heh, so you came. I was starting to think you'd run away," the figure said. It was easily recognizable. He extended his sword towards us. "Like you always do, Riven."

Riven stood quietly as I stepped forward.

"Let's get this over quickly," I whispered. Riven looked at me before taking off in a sprint. I took off behind her. "Hey, wait!"

"Please stay back," Riven said, slowing down for a second. "This is between him and I."

"So you're the summoner with the pet champion?" the man said, chuckling. "I expected… A bit more."

"Hey, screw you," I said, as the wind picked up. I raised my arms to cover my face.

The sounds of swords colliding could be heard as I opened my eyes. I saw something trickle down my arm, which I guessed was rain. I lowered my arms and stared as Riven and the samurai continued to clash. I couldn't step forward; looking down, I saw my arms covered in bleeding cuts. The gust of wind had cut me… But I couldn't feel anything.

"R-Riven!" I called out, as the man dashed forward when she jumped upward. I wanted to step back or raise my arm but there was nothing I could do. As Riven landed, she turned her head and stared at me. "What's wrong?"

She slowly fell onto her knees with a face covered in tears. I stared forward as I felt a sharp pain. The man chuckled again as I saw him stand up, holding his arm forward. His sword pierced through my abdomen; I felt lighter.

"I wonder how she feels right now," He said, looking at me. Within the next second, I was falling from the three story roof. Time seemed to freeze again as a million thoughts rushed my mind.

"How does losing a person dear to you, Exile?"

…

…

I bolted upwards, covered in a freezing sweat and a sharp pain until I took a few breaths. Slowly, my head cleared and the bubbling noise of the fish filter filled my head. I was in my room… Where I should be.

"Just a nightmare…" I said to myself.

Beside me was Riven, where she had been every night for the past three months. Everything in my head was fine again. I laid back down and closed my eyes. I felt her move around.

"Everything alright?" she whispered as I put my arm on her back.

"Yeah, just a bad dream," I said, leaning back against the wooden frame. "It's kinda weird to not have to wake up early tomorrow."

"It'll be different," Riven said, sitting up. Her face glistened as much as it could in this darkness. She liked sleeping warmly and always snuck away in the morning for a shower.

"A good different," I said, as she leaned beside me. "I can eat sugary cereal and watch cartoons all day."

"Didn't Nicole need help tomorrow?" Riven asked as I nodded.

"Yeah, guess I'll do that," I said. I turned to her. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's alright, talking with you is never a bother," she said, resting her head on my shoulder. "When would Nicole find out if she was accepted to the school?"

"In a few months, she's getting nervous about it since we haven't finished everything yet," I said. "She needs to master the fine art of last minute editing."

"Are you sure this is a real lesson?" Riven asked, sarcastically.

"Of course, I did some of my best with when I had an hour left," I said, as she smiled. "I probably need some sleep."

"Perhaps," she said, yawning. "Angie told me women need their beauty sleep."

"Yeah, I don't think Angie is a good person to learn about this world from," I jokingly said, as I laid back down. "Hey… About what Irelia said today while we all ate…"

"There'll be tension between us no matter what. While they held Noxus back, it made almost irreparable damage to city-state relations. I know she will not betray us," Riven said, staring upwards. She closed her eyes. "In the end, we hate the same person. The Noxus she sees is the one I do not want to be a part of."

"Yeah, I understand," I said, quietly. "Sorry to bring it up now."

"There should be no secrets between us all, secrets can lead to dangers in relationships."

"Yeah… That's for sure. Goodnight, Riven."


	26. Love Is In The Air

**I'm updating this after Cloud 9 has failed me. Anyway, hope everyone had good holidays and stuff. I've been writing way more than usual lately so maybe the next chapter will come before next month, who knows :**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"So where are you taking Riven out to? Or are you just gonna stay home and punish her for being bad?" Angie asked, as I stared forward.

"What… Are you talking about?" I asked, a bit dumbfounded. Angie grinned as she looked at me.

"You know...valentine's day. Tomorrow? Or did you forget?" Angie asked, as I nodded. "Seriously? What kind of boyfriend are you?"

"I dunno, I barely know what day it is," I said, yawning. "Why are we here anyway?"

"What, I can't invite a friend to hang out for no reason?" she asked as I nodded. "Well, there's no reason. Maybe I just love seeing how you hate the mall so much… Or we're celebrating your arm finally healing."

"That makes sense then," I said as she hit me. She made a groaning noise. "Hey, don't! It still hurts when you hit it!"

"God, I hate school, I wish I could be lazy like you," she said, as I grinned.

"Work hard and you can one day," I said as she looked at me with a concerned look.

"Did you start looking for a new job yet?" she asked as I nodded.

"Yeah, I have something already," I said. We headed into a game store."Greg's dad said they could use me back at the high school. The plus part was they'd also pay Riven, which is nice."

"That's great!" she began, staying at a reasonable voice level for once. "There… Was something I wanted to talk about though."

"What's up?" I asked.

"I've been thinking about everything that's happened between us in such a short time," she began as her eyes scanned through the video games on the wall. Neither of us owned the system for this section but I remained silent. "Mostly what happened at the playground."

I remained silent; she continued, keeping her voice low.

"Sometimes the things you say in the heat of the moment can be the best or worst things you say. Me asking you to be my boyfriend, good. Me freaking out during my birthday, bad. I- um… I'm not really-" she slowed to halt.

"Hey, it's alright. You don't-" I began before she cut me off.

"No, I need to say this!" she exclaimed, as a few people turned towards us. "I know I'm a pain and I'm moody and said stuff I didn't mean and I just had to get it off my chest."

"It's okay, don't stress yourself," I said, as she crossed her arms. I looked around nervously.

"Quit being so melancholic, you pretty much shape the universe," Angie said, as I sighed.

"N-no, that's just an anime I recommended you…" I began as Angie touched my cheek. _'Crap, we lost her… I need to get out of here.'_

"First you love me then, out of nowhere, you drop off the face of the planet. I don't care but what about our son?" she said, in fake anger. My head pounded as I looked around at a mix of confused, annoyed, and angry faces. "I dropped out of college to be with you… And you do this? The day before Valentine's day?"

_'This is a dream. 100% a dream,'_ I thought as my headache dulled. She turned towards the people and waved. She grabbed my hand and pulled me away back to the main area of the mall.

We ended up sitting down at an area by a small, playground-like area. It was surrounded by ice cream and snack stands as parents watched their kids play. I leaned forward on my hands as Angie yawned.

"That was funny, did you see their faces?" she said, as I sighed.

"You exhaust me sometimes," I said, leaning back. "But it was kinda funny... "

"See? For how sarcastic you are, you're way too shy," she said, as she looked around. "You think I'm that weird then?"

"Nah, you're great. Opposites attract, right?" I said, laughing.

"So what are you doing tomorrow?" she asked, as I shrugged. "Take her somewhere nice. She deserves it for putting up with you."

"Heh, I've never had a girlfriend during Valentine's day," I said as she nodded. "Really?"

"Yep. I was always more focused on school," she said, as she crossed her legs on the comfy, padded benches. "Bet you didn't know I've been a straight A student all my life."

"I didn't but it doesn't surprise me. You seem the type," I said as she grinned proudly. "What do you wanna do anyway?"

"Who knows. I'm twenty one with no idea what I'm doing," she said, with a sigh.

"Hey, I've been twenty one without a plan for a while now," I joked as she nodded. Her head bolted up, turning towards me immediately after.

"Hey, I have an idea," Angie said, proudly. "Party! For the lovebirds and the lonely birds looking to mingle!"

"Huh… I guess that sounds more fun than eating cereal for dinner," I said, as she nodded.

"With the power of social networking, this will be my masterpiece," Angie said, proudly. She jumped up and grabbed my arm. "Let's go. We gotta buy decorations!"

As soon as I was going to make a snarky remark, my head was pounded by a wave of pain. I grabbed my head as Angie stared at me. It had been hurting all day but the quick,lift must've made it worse.

"You okay?" she asked, worriedly. I rubbed my forehead.

"Yeah, I'm good. Not paying for anything though," I said, as we began to walk. She hit my arm.

"Hey, we're co-hosts here!"

* * *

After being dragged around by Angie for almost two hours, I was finally home. It was only one p.m and no one was home, aside from Riven.

I moved towards the kitchen and opened the fridge. No matter how many times I did, I knew I wouldn't make anything but it felt like second nature to do it. I began to head into my room as I spoke up.

"Hey, you up?" I asked, as I knocked on the door. After a muffled response, I went inside. Riven sat on the bed with her legs crossed as a controller laid beside her. "What've you been up to?"

"Your mother needed some help after I woke up. After, I began playing this game," she said, pointing at an older Call of Duty. "Did this game actually happen?"

"Well, yeah. Years ago," I said, sitting on my chair. "Like, before my parents were born."

"Huh… interesting. What did you guys do?" she asked, laying down on her side.

"Angie caused a scene because she was bored then decided we should have a party tomorrow," I said, as she stared at me. "Said she'd text me the details.

"What is tomorrow anyway? Your mother asked what we were doing," she said, as I turned towards the idle computer.

"Valentine's day. A day to celebrate love and friendship. People give each other hearts and candy usually," I said, staring at the computer. "It's a romantic day."

"Not… What kind of hearts?" Riven asked, looking at me strangely.

"C- Not real ones. Like, cut out, paper ones where you write notes and stuff," I said. "You'll see tomorrow."

"I wonder how many people will be there then," Riven said, turning back to the TV.

"Knowing Angie… Who even knows," I said, shrugging. "Probably just a small get together."

* * *

"Ah, there's my fashionably late co-host," Angie said, walked towards us. I looked behind her in awe. She had sent us directions and we were now in front of a house that was a borderline mansion. "Cool place, huh?"

"This place is huge… How?" I asked, as she waved for us to follow.

"Friend's family was out of town for the weekend. We just gotta clean up tomorrow," She said, as she opened the large door.

"What the-" I said, staring at the crowd of people. "This is… a lot of people."

"Yep! I knew I could throw a good party. There's a bunch of alcohol, soda, chips, pizza," Angie said, pointing as she spoke. She got close to me and whispered. "Empty rooms upstairs."

"Yeah. Alright," I said, as she looked behind me.

"Well, I am needed elsewhere, I'll talk to you later then," she said, as I looked at Riven.

"Well, this was a bit unexpected," Riven said, as I nodded. I looked around saw a familiar face walking towards me.

"Hey, weird to see you here," Greg said, as I nodded.

"Yeah, same to you. Where's Emily?" I asked, as he shrugged.

"Probably still playing beer pong, I just went to get a drink," he said.

"Made you the driver, huh?" I asked as he shrugged again.

"Guess so, I barely drink anyway," he said, as we began to walk together. "So, any other champions show up lately?"

"Not for a while actually," I said, as we entered another room. We made our way to a couch, where we began to watch the group of people throw ping pong balls into red cups. "Irelia talked with us but that's pretty much it."

"I read that the LCS is still gonna happen," Greg said, as I nodded.

"Yeah, I saw that," I said, as I yawned. "I feel old, I'm tired at a party."

"Just time to people watch then," Greg said, as I laughed. I turned to Riven.

"I'm gonna get a drink, want one?" I said, as she nodded quickly. "Be right back then."

Squeezing through the crowd at the door, I found myself back at the living room. More groups of people had formed; a few people sat around watching sports on TV, some were playing drinking games I recognized with playing cards, and, of course, people making out.

I moved through the people and opened a cooler, grabbing three cans of Pepsi. At least Angie knew my preferences. I had let her do most of the shopping and gave her money since her plans were usually a mystery to us. Someone bumped into me as I turned around.

"Oh, hey boss," a seemingly drunk Alyssa said, as she hugged me. "How have you been?"

"Hey Alyssa," I said, as she looked around. "Having fun?"

"Yep, you two can throw quite a party," She said, tilting her head towards a group of dancing people. "You should go dance."

"Ehm… No, sorry. I gotta get back to someone, maybe later," I said, as she laughed. She waved as she walked away.

That was a blatant lie, I wasn't a dancer nor did I want to bump into a group of drunk people repeatedly. I headed back into the other room to find Riven sitting by herself, staring at the beer pong table. She stood up as I neared her.

"Sorry if this is boring, not really my type of party," I said, as she shook her head.

"It is alright, it's a new experience for me," she said, smiling. She grabbed my arm. "Follow me."

"Huh? Alright," I said, as I lowered one soda onto the table and held the other two.

I walked behind the Noxian, through the doors and up the stairs. I looked around in a bit of a panic as I heard my name be called from downstairs. When we reached the second floor, a couple walked towards us. The guy seemed familiar but I couldn't recognize him; he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Room's all yours, bro," he said, as I hoped there were other rooms.

Sure enough, we went into a pretty clean room and Riven pulled me down to sit beside her. I tapped the bed and avoided eye contact. She forced her face into my view.

"Is something the matter?" Riven asked as I shook my head quickly.

"Did you need something?" I asked as she laid back, pulling me down with her. She looked at me in confusion.

"I am doing what Angie told me to do," she said as I sat up again.

"Yeah, now everything makes sense," I said, sighing. I laid back down. "Guess being here is better than down there, I felt so out of place."

"Should we leave?" Riven asked. I shook my head.

"Angie's gonna need help cleaning, I guess," I said. I began to wonder who's house this was. This looked like a guest room but the TV was bigger than any one I could afford.

"Angie sure is sporadic. So, what is the purpose of coming to this room then?" Riven asked, as I scratched my head.

"Well… people do things," I said. Why was I so embarrassed? I'm old enough! "At parties like these, couples sometimes want alone time to… You know.."

"Have sex?" Riven said, as I nodded. She chuckled. "Some things don't change, no matter where you go."

"Heh… that's why it was a bit surprising but if Angie tricked you, it makes sense," I said, as she agreed. "I'd rather be sitting here though."

"Me too," Riven said, staring at the roof. "Do you think-"

The door handle rattled loudly. I sat up as we heard muffled noises. One of the words I heard was key. I tilted my head towards the closet as Riven grabbed my arm.

"Hehe, thanks again for letting us use your house," a familiar voice said as we sat in the dark closet. I grabbed my headphones and plugged them into my phone.

"I suppose this'll be a good way to say thanks," the male voice said. Riven leaned towards me.

"That… Sounds like Angie," she said, as I froze. I looked at the door. This was a visual novel decision time. Bust out the door or stay in here in silence… Well, we'd be silent.

"Suppose so, mister," Angie said, as the door closed behind them. Riven looked around.

"Riley, we need to go, now," Riven said, as she shifted onto her knees. Her sword appeared on her belt. She grabbed a coat from a hangar.

"Ehrm… alright," I said, grabbing my own jacket. I covered myself the best I could as we stood up. I rested my hand on the knob. "Ready?"

Words didn't matter, Riven grabbed my other arm and took off in a sprint. The two were immediately alerted as we headed to the window. I felt my arm be grabbed as I was being tugged by two people.

"What the hell? What were you two doing in my closet?" the guy asked, as Angie walked towards me. I avoided eye contact. She lowered my hoodie and her faced changed. She swung her hand towards my face. Riven grabbed it in mid swing, now standing between us.

"Don't you dare," Riven said, lowering her hand, letting go once it reached her hip. I jerked my hand free. "You knew where you led me to."

"What are you talking about? There's like, three rooms here, why did you take this one?" Angie asked, angrily.

"It doesn't matter, we have more important things to do," I said, as my arm was grabbed again.

"Yeah right, freak, why didn't you say anything?" the guy said. I recognized him now; the guy who I saw at her college but his name escaped me. "Still hung up over your ex?"

"Let me go," I said, as he chuckled. His grip tightened and twisted. I clenched my other fist. "Fuck off!"

I swung my head forward. When his hands moved to his head, I pushed him onto the bed and turned to Riven.

"What's gotten into you?!" Angie asked, as I looked at her.

"You know what I'm doing," I said, sighing. "Have fun, you sure picked a good one."

Riven put an arm around my waist and leaped out the window, grabbing onto a branch with one hand. I grabbed on myself.

"C'mon, I could've done it myself," I said as she smirked. "Ok fine, thanks."

"No problem," She said, as we made our way down. A few people looked at us weirdly. "Time hasn't stopped."

"Well, that's not good, let's keep these on then," I said, raising the hood back up. We moved through the backyard, where a few people were hanging out, and towards the car. I grabbed the blue sword, which felt lighter than usual.

"Any idea of who it is?" I asked, as she shook her head. She looked as if she was using her exiled skin.

"It's heading towards us. It doesn't seem to mind the other people," Riven said, worriedly. "We might have to fight near people."

"Hmm… I have an idea," I said, pulling out my phone. I began texting Greg. "We'll need to cover our faces just in case. We need to keep everyone safe."

"Of course, that is our priority," Riven said, nodding as we began to move towards where Greg had parked. She stared at me as I opened the door. "What are you doing?"

"Greg's girlfriend made some masks. He was telling me about it… Guess we're about to field test them," I said, grinning. They were two wooden masks; a lion and a bird. I handed her the lion as I fastened mine over my face. "We're like some masked heroes."

"I suppose so," she said, smiling before putting on her mask. With her coat and sword, she reminded me of a Digimon. "It's heading towards us, be on guard."

"Right, stay on the other side, watch my back," I said, as she moved across the street. The masks limited our peripheral view so we watched each other.

A figure came into sight as I peeked my head from the tree I hid behind. A figure holding a sword; my stomach churned. I grasped it while remembering my dream. Riven moved beside me.

"It is Aatrox. We must keep moving," Riven said, as I relaxed myself.

"Avoid his attacks, focus on stopping his strikes. Just like you taught me," I said. She nodded in approval as we moved out of hiding. I held the blue sword forward.

"Return to Valoran now or we'll have to send you back with force," I said, as the Darkin Blade stepped a few yards away from me. "We won't let you go any further."

"This one won't listen to reason," Riven said, dashing forward. The two began to strike each other quickly. Both seemed to have impenetrable defenses; their swords clashed quickly and audibly.

I moved forward and held the sword outwards as I ran. Aatrox spun around, knocking Riven back with his wings. He swung his blade down and I blocked it, pushing back hard.

'Yeah right.. I can't fight half as good as Riven…' I thought to myself. I leaped back as Riven moved forward. Aatrox leaped up and flew towards me. I shifted myself to my right and felt a sharp wave of pain hit me. I raised my sword up to block his incoming sword. My arms stung from the impact.

"Riley! Is that you-" a voice said, as I pushed back. God, why now? It was my tipsy former employee. Aatrox turned towards her but Riven immediately intercepted him. "W-What's going on?"

"Focus, fight with me," Riven said, looking at me. She raised her sword,charging it with energy. I nodded.

Riven dashed forward and I followed her lead. The creature shot his Blades of Torment towards her; she easily dodged and swung her sword at the champion. The two continued to fight, I swung my arm towards his side. He grabbed my arm with his free hand and pushed me away. I moved back forward and attempted the same attack.

"Riley!"

As his arm moved, I pulled my arm back and tackled the champion with my shoulder. Once he pushed me away, Riven stunned him and landed her combo. Aatrox turned to me while holding his chest; he ran towards me.

"End it!"

Riven swung her sword with a shout. I held my sword up, blocking the incoming strike. Aatrox fell to the ground as I backed up, staring at the energized blue sword. I had one chance.

"Why!"

I looked around; Aatrox leaped towards me again. I moved back and swung the sword upwards. The champion landed on his chest but not before grazing my shin with his sword. Riven moved beside me as I slowly stood back up. She looked around as I extended my arm to send Aatrox back; something I hadn't done in a while.

"Seems we attracted quite a crowd," Riven said, through her mask. I slowly looked around. A good crowd stared from a distance, with a pissed looking, cross armed Angie. She stepped forward and I extended my arm and shook my head.

"You really know how to ruin my life," Angie whispered, as she ignored my signal and walked up to me. I looked down.

"You know I can't control this," I said, quietly. She nodded, wiping her face.

"I… please just… go," Angie said, turning away. "I need time."

"Alright, we'll go," I said, grabbing Riven's hand. She followed me through the path that opened through the crowd. I kept my eyes forward as we headed for the area where everyone was parked.

"What happened?" Riven asked as I raised my shoulders.

"I'm not sure. This was a bad time for a champion to appear," I said, as we neared the car. No one followed us; we were in our own world like I had hoped we were in earlier. I pulled off the wooden mask and rested against the car. "But this comes first now. Angie should know that."

"Please do not be mad at her," Riven said, standing beside me. I nodded and she grabbed my arm. "Your sword skills need improving."

"Yeah, I'm better without it, I think," I said, inspecting the sword. "This must have a reason for appearing though. It's a shame."

"It helps us fight together," Riven began. "I need you."

"I know… I won't let anything happen to you," I said, sighing. "For whatever that means."

"It means very much," Riven said, grabbing my arm with both hand. She shoved me to the ground. "Look out!"

From the ground, I saw things fly in a blur and Riven kneel beside me. She clutched her side as I sat up. She had stars-shaped knives sticking out of her side. Her sword had vanished and I looked around.

"Riven… are you okay?" I said, grabbing her closely.

"R-Run…" She said, quietly. I stood up and shook my head. I dropped my keys. "Run already!"

"Hide inside, I can handle this," I said, stepping away from her. I held the blue sword as I looked around. "Show yourself, Talon."

"Why would I do that?" the male champion's voice said. "Then you would have the advantage."

"Fuck you," I said, looking around. I followed whatever movement I could closely. He could kill me in a second; a human wouldn't fare well against an ability named Cutthroat. I heard a strange sound and turned back towards Riven. The blades had been retrieved, staining her white shirt with red.

"Watch your tongue, brat," Talon said, running towards me from the shadows. I raised my sword as he almost tripped. Riven dived forward and grabbed his leg. "Let me go, Exile."

With his free leg, he kicked her; she refused to let go. I moved forward and he extended his bladed gauntlet. He pointed it at her.

"One step and she dies," he said, stopping me in my tracks. He smirked. "Good, do as you're told."

"Just go back. You don't belong here," I said. My eyes refused to move. Riven twitched. Her arm twisted his leg. Talon's body twisted slightly from the pain as he swung his arm angrily. Riven fell back to the ground as I felt time slow down.

I dashed forward before Talon could react. I swung my arm as hard as I could, knocking him back. My arm came back up and hit him with the sword; my body felt lighter than ever. Using the momentum from the backswing, I swung my arm forward again but the man vanished.

He appeared behind me, I turned and dashed towards him as his blade bounced away from the shield I created. He stared as me in disbelief as I raised the sword again.

"You won't win this," I said. My anger seemed to focus and the sword's blade extended as fragments created themselves.

"H-How?" Talon stammered as he vanished again. A sharp object passed by my cheek. I closed my eyes.

"Yeah, no."

I swung my arm to my left, shooting the wave of energy towards the invisible champion. I fell to my knees. I was tired. I saw Riven and smiled.

"Heh… Sorry about this."


	27. League Of Conversations

**Welp, after a horrible start to my season 6 road to platinum, here's another chapter that I took to long to finish. I'm probably having a tooth pulled soon and that's scaring me. Also Cloud 9 will win worlds this time for real all the other times were jokes. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Riley, please wake up."

"Wha…"

I sat up quickly, feeling a quick pain from my leg and focusing on Riven's face in front of mine. Her face had a cut across her cheek and she placed her hand on my cheek, which stung for a second. She smiled and hugged me.

"What happened…" I said, looking around.

I for sure fell asleep but everything looked the same. I grabbed my phone and it was still Valentine's day night. I shifted my body onto my knees.

"You saved us," she began, stopping after that like she couldn't find the words.

"Everything went slow and I was furious and… I thought he hurt you worse," I said, staring down at the sword. I looked at her again. "I felt him coming towards me and…"

"We should leave before we attract any attention," Riven said, standing up. She held her side and winced slightly in pain but smiled. "Wonder which one of us is in a better condition."

"You're hilarious," I smirked, as I looked back at the mansion. "I wonder if Angie hates me."

"She doesn't. She must be frustrated, is all," Riven said, as we got into the car. I stated at the wooden mask on my lap. Greg's girl was really good at making stuff like this, it was a really well crafted mask. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," I said, beginning to drive quickly. It didn't matter who saw us now. Aside from Alyssa, I doubt I'll see anyone here again. "God, my mom won't like this, that's for sure."

As we neared the open gate, a person stood in the dark. I stopped a few feet away and they walked up to my window. When I lowered the window, I stared at the person I definitely wasn't expecting. Irelia waved as I opened the door.

"Wasn't expecting you," I said, as she quickly got into the backseat. She was wearing the jacket I got her. Striped jackets looked good on at least two champions.

"Are you two alright? I sensed two champions in quick succession," she said, as I got back in.

"Yeah, a little banged up, but we're fine," I said. Riven nodded in agreement. "It's supposed to rain tonight, wanna crash at our place?"

"Would that be alright?" Irelia asked.

I began to drive after nodding. I got quiet and both of the women with me did the same; it was strange but relaxing, which I needed. The remaining champions weren't weak, we must keep our guards up now more than ever. We couldn't even rely on time stopping or any other weird rules anymore. My head began to hurt as I sped down the empty streets in the light rain. I handed Riven my phone.

"Ask Nicole if anyone's home and if they want pizza. Tell her to get three anyway, I'm starving."

* * *

"I see. I should've moved faster. My apologies," Irelia said, crossing her arms.

Irelia sat with her legs crossed on my bed beside Riven, who was staring out my window at the parking lot. I opened the box of pizza I brought in after Nicole ended up buying it. My parents we're out and Nicole ended up staying to work on a project. She didn't question why Irelia was here after I told her not to worry, she knew I didn't need questioning, especially right now. I turned on the TV for some idle entertainment.

"Don't worry about it. These things will happen," I said, yawning. "Eat up, we have a bunch."

"Thank you," she said. Riven turned onto her back and laid her arms on her stomach. I leaned forward and placed a paper plate on her face. "Does your sister stay alone often?"

"Yeah, we've usually stayed by ourselves," I said, as Riven finally sat up. "You said your family knows, right?"

"Yeah… they had to. I don't think they would mind you staying here on days like these," I said. She lowered her head.

"That's two more down. I wonder how much longer this'll take," I said. I looked at Riven.

"How do you think life will be after?" Irelia said. "Without Riven."

"I don't know. I don't want to think about it," I said, quietly. Riven lowered her food.

"We will be alright. We both survived without each other," Riven said, grimly.

"Yeah, I guess. I don't want that," I said. She stared up at me, I was frustrated. I stood up. "I don't want to go back to my melancholy. Sure, at first, this was just to send every champion home and return our worlds to normal… But now, I don't want to remember how life was without you."

"You know we will have to. You're safer without us here," Riven said, staring at me. Her eyes were wide and distant. She shook her head quickly. "You nearly died. I couldn't do absolutely anything. We can't keep relying on you to discover abilities you have now."

"What happened back there?" Irelia asked, looking at me. I sat back down.

"I thought Talon… I don't remember that well. I just remember seeing Riven bleeding and on the ground and then I became super pissed and," I began, forcing myself to remember. "My body felt lighter and I reforged the blade."

"I see. You two are so similar," Irelia said, with a smile. She turned to Riven. "Continue to fight together. Yes, we'll have to return one day but you should enjoy your time until then."

"I'd rather not talk about this," Riven said, angrily.

"Why not?" I asked, equally as mad.

"You know exactly why," Riven said, staring at me. "You know everything about us, right?"

"I- I guess…" I began, looking at Irelia who stared towards the ground. She stood up and moved towards the door, asking to be excused. The door opened and closed but the air remained thick with tension. "We've been through so much, Riven. We'll be alright."

"Talon brought up some thoughts I'd rather avoid. Watching people… Die… Without being able to do anything," she began. "I never want that to happen again… yet it almost did."

"Screw Talon," I said before she spoke again.

"I spent so much time alone. Bettering myself to make damn sure it never happened again," she said, looking at me now. "Yet it almost did. To a person I care about."

"Riven…" I muttered. I moved beside her on the bed. "I'm sorry."

She leaned on me as the world went quiet again, with only the familiar sound of the water filters and television. I sighed and she looked up at me again.

"Is it always anger?" I asked, as she tilted her head in confusion. "When you reforge your blade… is it always anger?"

"Not anymore," she said, shaking her head. "It can be almost any emotion if the right conditions are in place."

"I see… can you help me with that later?" I asked as she nodded. "If I have to send you back someday, I'll be sure you go back happy."

"I know… Thank you."

While my first Valentine's day with a girlfriend went a different direction than I had imagined it, the rest of February went by with nothing happening. Riven and I had spent our days working for my high school after Greg asked his father for jobs, lounging around as always, and training.

While Riven explained how she focused herself, I couldn't managed to make it work. It always ended in a splitting headache unless I remembered what I felt that one day. Angie hadn't spoken to me since then either. I laid on my bed in silence as Riven held my DS.

"I don't understand. This switch just gives me a headache," she said, as I laughed.

"Yeah, it's dumb. Just leave it off," I said, as I sat up. I grabbed the remote to my new TV I had bought with our newfound riches… and it being on sale. "I wonder if it's over yet."

"I don't know but I know they're boring games to watch," I said.

With the power of newer televisions, I turned on to Riot's broadcast of the LCS. It was on the old patches so team remained with their old practices; push down two towers and let top lane Ryze farm for one late game fight then push to win. It was weird to see how many changes happened to the teams while the team I cheered for remained the same and still pretty dominant. Riven looked at the screen.

"So this… Cloud 9 team is the best?" she asked.

"They're one of the best American teams. I like their ADC so I became a fan a while ago," I said. It's not like that would change, I mean, Cloud 9 will always be the best in North America… Right, future me? I heard a knock on my door. "Come in."

The door was opened by a red eyed Nicole.

* * *

My sister had asked to talk to me. I followed her to our balcony, where we could see the pond and the familiar playground. I sat across from her as she handed me a crumpled paper. I read it, recognizing the emblem. I lowered it and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I should've done better," I said, as she shook her head.

"I sucked at answering their questions," she said. "Mom and Dad are gonna kill me, aren't they?"

"They would never. Why would you think that?" I asked as she smiled.

"Dunno. Everything is okay, right? I heard you guys a few weeks ago," she said, quietly.

"Y-Yeah, don't worry," I said. She shook her head again.

"You always say that. We worry about this… Alot," she said.

"Well, don't," I said, quickly. She stood up.

"Stop saying that! I didn't say anything when you came home with a bloody leg and another person," she said, a bit angrily. I sighed and stood up myself. I leaned on the railing.

"Be a kid, Nicole. These are my problems and I can handle them," I began. She seemed to open her mouth again. I cut her off. "I don't care about physical injuries; those heal. I care about important things like my sister being rejected from her dream high school, Angie being pissed at me, school… Riven…"

"When does she have to leave?" Nicole asked me. I grinned.

"It'd be nice if never… Or to have an answer," I said. I turned back towards her. Riven stared at me through the glass. I patted her head. "Listen, whichever school you wanna go, you'll do great in. I know that, you don't need these assholes' approval for that, alright?"

"That's a dollar for swear jar," she said, giggling. I grinned and nodded.

"Fuck that," I said, opening the glass,sliding door. "You mean the downpayment for my car fund."

"Is that really where that money went?" she asked angrily. I shrugged with a grin… It's a 100% where the money went.

"Are you alright, Nicole?" Riven asked, bending forward. Nicole nodded.

"Yeah, I'm better now," Nicole said, as Riven handed me my debit card. She stared at me in confusion. "What are you buying?"

"The food is here," Riven said, as Nicole stood more confused than before.

"Celebration or pick me up, I know you wouldn't have minded eating Chinese," I said, smirking. My sister's eyes lit up. I handed her the remote for the living room TV. "Here, put on something, I'll get us some plates."

Riven followed me to the front door. We didn't hear the knock from being outside but I had asked her to keep an ear out. I paid the man and handed him a five dollar bill as a tip; he thanked me and left. I moved the box of food to the kitchen as Riven laid out three plates while Nicole hovered through random shows on the TV guide. We both walked over and sat on the couch, while my sister sat on the carpet. I placed her plate on the small table.

"Hey, share those," she said, as I grabbed a small bag of noodles.

"Yeah, no," I said, holding the bag near me. "Besides, there's some on your plate."

"Oh… whatever," she said, staring at the tv. "Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem," I said, looking outside. "Where'd mom and dad go, anyway?"

"Not sure. They were gone before I got here," she said, beginning to eat. "They are working alot… we don't have money problems, right?"

"We shouldn't. They said they were saving up for something," I said, shrugging. "So go to college, don't be dumb like me."

"I am, I am," she said. "It's not fair you couldn't. Just because you were born first you had to wait."

"That doesn't matter anymore," I said, sighing. "Everything's alright now. So… Which other schools are on your mind?"

"Yours?" she asked, as if that was my choice. "I just wanted to go where my friends were going."

"Everyone wanted that," I said, smirking. "Most of my friends got denied and ended up going separately anyway. It happens no matter what, high school changes everything."

"That's… Kinda depressing," Nicole said quietly. I nodded.

"It's better to keep a small group of close friends," Riven said, as Nicole stared at her. "More people means less control of what is said."

"We should hang out sometime, Riven," my sister said, happily. Riven nodded with a smile.

"Don't stress about this stuff, you're fourteen," I said, stretching my arms. "When I was your age, my biggest problem was if I should finish my homework or play more video games."

"That's cause you were a horrible student," Nicole said, as I waved a finger.

"Yeah but that never stopped me from being a manager and going to college, did it?" I said, playfully. I felt my phone vibrate. It was Angie; the first text she had sent me since Valentine's day. "Angie texted me, it's like she can smell when I buy food."

"Is she alright?" Riven asked, as I stood up. I nodded.

"Yeah, give me a sec," I said, as I headed to the front door. I opened the door and felt a cold blast of wind hit my legs.

A cutely dressed Angie stood before me as I closed the door behind me. The final days of Florida's delayed winter were actually cold for once… Not cold enough for me not wear shorts at home, however. Angie had an elegant looking coat, what looked like just leggings, and a scarf. She stared at me with wide eyes.

"Are you insane?" she asked, as I shrugged.

"Probably," I said, putting my hands in my pockets. "What's up?"

"Aren't you used to this by now?" she asked, quietly. "I freak out about something stupid and then ask for your forgiveness?"

"Wasn't a stupid reason. I have no idea why my first instinct was to run into the closet," I admitted. "Or freaking out and headbutting a guy."

"I think I should keep my distance from now on," she said, quickly. "You don't need extra distractions."

"Funny, I'd call you a friend before a distraction," I said, putting my hand on her cheek. I moved her head and swung my hand through the air dramatically. "That was me slapping you for being crazy."

"Riley- stop," she said, sadly. I cut her off.

"Everything I did at the party was to protect everyone. I don't want to sound like some martyr or something but it's what happened. After we left, Riven got attacked by another champion," I said, as she raised her hands to her face. "Let's just put this behind us. Let's not make it awkward for the little sisters."

"You're dumb…" she said, smiling. She wiped her eyes and I opened the door, tilting my head towards the inside.

"Come on, there's chinese."

* * *

"Hey, hand me the bin," I said, extending my hand out. My dad kicked a hard plastic bin lightly towards me. The oil began to drain as I moved back on the sliding board, sitting up as my dad nodded. "Look's good?"

"Yeah, don't ruin it," he said, handing me a bottle of new oil.

"I'll try," I said, grinning. As we waited for the oil to finish, my dad spoke up.

"So, about this… thing going on," he said, handing me a freshly opened beer. It wasn't exactly legal but barely anyone passed by our building at this time. "How is that going?"

"Alright. Shouldn't take too long, why?" I asked, as he shrugged.

"Wondering. Riven isn't a bother, if that's what you're thinking," he said,chuckling. "Hell, she does chores, maybe she should stay."

"That'd be cool," I said, as I moved back down to plug the hole. I carefully pulled the oil container back towards us. "What do we do with this?"

"I'll dump it at work tomorrow," he said, as he pointed where to put the new oil. "So did you finally get to use those condoms we bought you years ago?"

"D-Dad… shut up, old man," I said, stunned. "Aren't parents supposed to be against that sort of thing in their house?!"

"Nah. We thought you were gay. She is actually your girlfriend, right?" he asked, with a grin. I sighed; I'll never win.

"Yes, she is," I said, as he patted my shoulder.

"I'm joking, boy," he said, saying the last word in Spanish. His accent was thick but they spoke English with me to improve. It was crazy that back in my high school years, they didn't know barely any English. "Your mother's glad you're going back to school. How's the new job?"

"Pretty good. Always something different to do," I began, as I put the lid on the… Oil thing. "Hey, look. I can finally do what you probably were born knowing how to do."

"You're not wrong," he joked, as he lowered the hood. "Well, I'm going to get ready for dinner. When are the girls coming back?"

"No clue," I said, grabbing whatever tools were laying around to put back in the trunk. "Thanks for helping me. Now I finally know how."

"No problem, glad you wanted to learn, that's always important," my dad said, as Angie appeared from behind him. "Oh, another mouth to feed."

"Yep!" Angie said, happily. My dad waved with a smile as the girl approached me. "Heh, I've never seen you hang out with your dad."

"Yeah, he works at random times and I've been out more lately," I said, as she looked at me. "What's up?"

"She asked me to come here," she said, pointing back. Irelia stood at the bend of the sidewalk, looking around in casual clothes. "Something about finding people."

"Oh, probably good news for once," I said, chuckling. "So… how did our masks look?"

"Please tell me you gave them back," she sighed. "You looked like discount super heroes."

"Isn't that kinda what we are?" I joked, as she hit me. "Greg let us keep them. Just in case."

Irelia bowed slightly as we neared her. I waved slightly as Angie yawned audibly. I looked at her as Irelia chuckled quietly.

"Good to see you two have made up," the Ionian said, brightly. "I have found some fellow Ionians."

"That's good," I began as Riven walked towards us. Her hair was a mess… "Hey, good morning."

"Hey…" she said, looking at the other two women there. "Hello everyone."

"You're just waking up? This slacker taught you how to be lazy," Angie said, glaring at me. I put one arm behind my head.

"Hey, we only have two days off a week now, we have to cherish them," I said, as Riven nodded. She turned to Irelia. "Irelia said she found some Ionian champions."

"What does that have to do with us?" she asked, sounding a bit harsh.

"I've spoken with them; they wish to lend their aid to your cause, Riley," Irelia said, as Riven moved beside me. Irelia followed Riven with her eyes. "I won't harm our alliance, Riven."

"I know you won't," Riven said, quickly. "I don't believe most other's would easily ignore the past."

"You had nothing to do with that battle, right?" I asked, as Riven shrugged.

"Noxus did, which is enough," Riven said, defensively. "I would rather keep a small group. Unless the enemies group up, our current strategy shouldn't lose effectiveness."

I knew I wasn't sure about that one… even Riven said we couldn't depend of random things happening to get us out of problems but if she was so against it, I should stand with her. As I went to agree, Angie spoke up.

"Well, I don't know anything about all this but," she began. I stared at her in anticipation. "Irelia is like, the leader, right? If she says to listen, they will. Better to be safe with more champions, right?"

"While we could work separately, we would still need the help of a summoner to return," Irelia said, crossing her arms. "This puts a damper on my plan, that's for sure."

"Please understand my angle on this," Riven said, as she turned around. "Goodbye for now."

"Goodbye, Riven," Irelia said, nodding. She turned towards Angie. "Could we get going as well?"

"Uh… Sure," Angie said, waving at me. "See you later then."

"See ya," I said, as the last two walked away. Just like that, I was alone. I put whatever was left in the trunk of the car and began to head back home. I wondered what else would happen in the next few months…

A few months from now, I'll be going back to school. How good would I be at League when everything is fixed? My hopes of being a mechanical god of Vayne went down the drain quickly. I went from barely speaking to my family to us living with a League champion and having virtually no secrets… No one tells you this happens when you turn twenty one, all they mention is the alcohol. I grinned as I faced Riven, who was waiting for me on the second floor of the building, leaning on the brown railing.

"Hey," I said, as she continued to look forward.

"What do you think we should do?"


	28. Trust

**Here is chapter 28. I hit gold yesterday wooooo I'm so good at Lee Sin sometimes except not really I suck. Enjoy! c:**

* * *

Another month passed; another thirty-ish days that felt wasted to me. Well, not wasted per say… I was working, enjoying time with my few friends, getting along with my family and more less stressed than I had been in a while. The lack of stress was stressing me out, as weird as that sounded. I sat across from Angie, who held chopsticks in her clasped hands as I looked around the restaurant. She looked at me and threw a ball of paper at me from her straw.

"Hmm?" I sounded, as she glared towards me.

"You okay? You seem depressed or something," she said, shaking her head. "Most guys would die for a chance for ME to treat them for chinese food."

"This is your treat? I'm the one that had to drive and buy you a smoothie earlier," I said, as she grinned. "I'm,not depressed, just spaced out for a second."

"Yeah but the Riley I met never spaced out. You said you always had escape plans and responses to everything before," Angie said, shaking her head with her hands raised. She looked… Normal… It was hard to explain. "What's on your mind?"

"The usual stuff," I began, as she glanced at her phone. "Tired, for some reason. I keep staying up late and waking up early."

"Well, quit being dumb. Sleep is important," Angie said.

"Yeah, I know, I know," I said, sighing. I looked outside at the busy streets."Man, we haven't come here since… We started dating."

"Really?" she asked, tilting her head. She giggled. "Guess not, huh? It's weird. Aren't we supposed to hate each other? I don't think we did this right."

"Hey, you're the one that hated me for a while," I said, as she shook her head.

"Never. Just convinced by a smooth talker and the right circumstances," she said, jokingly.

"Heh, you slut," I said, smirking. She shrugged, jokingly. "I was kinda thinking you weren't gonna ever talk to me again. Don't get me wrong, that'd be great but you know."

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," she said, as a man brought a large plate of chicken and sides of rice. We had agreed to order a large plate since we both wanted the same thing and it would be cheaper that way. "Man, where were friends like you during high school?"

"I don't know. At another school obviously," I said, grabbing a piece of chicken. As I moved it towards my mouth, it fell out of my grasp. I caught it before it hit my shirt but Angie laughed. "I never thought I'd be thankful for forks."

"Have you been thinking of what you want to cosplay? June'll be here soon," she said, as I nodded. Only three more months.

"Yeah, we have ideas," I said. She smirked. "Oh ho."

"Relax, I'm just wondering. Hey, that's cheating," she said, as I jabbed the chopsticks into the chicken.

"No, it's creative thinking, or something."

* * *

At the weekly Ionian council as I had dubbed it, I sat across from Irelia alongside Riven at a 24/7 diner. I wasn't sure if this was Irelia's way of getting free food or she actually needed to talk. Either way, we went and didn't mind.

"Hey," I said, as she sipped some black coffee.

"Good morning. How are you two doing?" she asked, as Riven yawned.

"Exhausted. We were up late training," Riven said, as Irelia looked at me.

"Training or…" she began, seemingly ready to laugh.

"Yes, training," I said, sighing. "I wouldn't mind having sword skills for the rest of my life. That could come in handy sometime."

"I see. We have been looking through your list," she began, putting a well re-written list of names, grouped into columns. "We should try to find a few people in particular."

"Like who?" I asked, as she pointed.

"Caitlyn. She would be with Vi and Jayce if they were together. Jinx or Viktor might naturally be near," Irelia said, moving her finger. "Soraka would be helpful. Warwick would be pursuing her if he is in this world."

"That makes sense but we have no control of where they could be. Only our senses and those are pretty limited," Riven said, as Irelia nodded.

"I know. Groups of champions would emit easier to detect energy. We haven't noticed any champion appearing too far from you," Irelia said, looking at me. "We should look around together. We need your help since you're the only one who can ultimately send them back."

"I guess. What do you think?" I asked Riven.

"Bring only one other champion with you. We don't need that much energy ourselves. We'd be easily found out," Riven said.

"That is acceptable. The rest of my group can go to another area," Irelia said. She turned to Riven. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Don't ruin that trust," Riven said, as they both looked towards me. I stared at them.

"Uhm… Are you ready to order… Sir?"

* * *

After a number of uncontrollable events on my end, Riven and I were on our way to a house of a family friend. Riven held my backpack on her lap as the setting sun continued to blind me occasionally. I swear this must've been the most common time for accidents here… but that's my fault for not wearing sunglasses because I was stubborn.

"I am still upset," Riven said, huffing. Which was adorable. "You could've told me about her."

"Getting her is hard to do. You have to spent all the time from other girls and that's really hard," I said, smiling. "Took me a few tries to get it to work."

"Olivia is stupid anyway," Riven said, staring down. "Sumia is the best girl."

"That's just someone who didn't marry Olivia would say. Sumia is the second best, I'll give you that," I said. For a mysterious video game character come to life, Riven sure loved playing games. Her most recent obsession was my latest recommendation of Fire Emblem Awakening. "Glad you're liking it then."

"I can understand why you played it so much," she said, as we pulled into our destination.

"It's a great game. Can't wait for the next ones," I said, as we both got slung the bag over one shoulder as we approached the door. As I went to knock, a small girl opened it with a well dressed woman behind her. "Hey Gabby."

"Oh Riley, thank you so much again for doing this," the woman said, giving me a quick hug. She waved to Riven. "Riven, was it? I'm Gabriela, an old friend of his parents."

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Riven said, as she grabbed her purse and moved past us.

"I left some money for pizza, we'll be home before eleven," she said, waving again as she quickly headed to her car.

"Erm… bye," I said, waving weakly as I turned to the little girl, who I had known her entire life. "Hey, where's your sister?"

"She's sleeping," she said, looking at Riven. "Do you want to read my story?"

"Story?" Riven asked, as the girl grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the kitchen. I chuckled and followed, staring at the money and note card on the kitchen counter. It was the number to a local pizza place and the address of the house.

Riven sat beside the little girl as I looked from a distance. She listened as the girl read a story she had written about a cat chasing things. Riven nodded slightly as I smiled at the innocent sight; I walked towards another room. I peeked inside the dim room to see the baby boy asleep. I cracked the door and headed back to the kitchen.

"Hey, you hungry?" I asked as the little girl, Sam, nodded. I grabbed my phone and began to dial the number. "Your mom's buying pizza."

"Seems all we eat is pizza," Riven said, as Sam stared up at her.

"Lucky!" she exclaimed, as I quickly gave the info to the place.

"I'm not sure what you want to do. This was pretty sudden," I said, putting the note card down. The girl grabbed my arm and pulled both of us towards the living room.

* * *

After almost two hours of a random movie and pizza for dinner, I looked to my left. Sam had fallen asleep against the armrest of the comfortable couch. I couldn't blame her; the dim light and relaxing mood was making me sleepy.

"Sorry about how I acted this morning," Riven began. "It's hard to know what others will do. Irelia is trusting but not their leader. Hopefully her influence is enough but I'd rather us be on guard."

"Yeah, I get it. We'll be alright. If we have to fight, we will," I said, turning to her. "I'm with you, don't worry."

"I don't worry about that. I trust you more than anyone right now," she said, leaning on me. She looked at the sleeping Sam. "Children are so easily entertained."

"She was always pretty calm. I've known her since she was born. Weird to see her going to school already," I said, hearing a distinct noise. I tilted my head. "Think her brother is awake."

In silence, Riven walked behind me through the cozy house. All but one of the doors were closed for a good reason. The cries got louder as we moved closer. We approached the crib as Riven stared behind me. I picked up the baby. It was easy to tell what was wrong.

"Yep. Needs a change," I said, immediately. I stared at the tiny kid. He barely weighed anything; I always felt scared holding babies, which I thought was common.

"What is his name?" Riven asked, looking down. She leaned her head down slightly and the baby grabbed her hair.

"His name is Ian," I said, as he stared at Riven, who remained still. "Seems he like you."

After a few seconds, I set him down and changed his diaper. Riven stared at me like I had done heart surgery.

"I took care of Nicole when my mom worked more nights. She'd get home and sleep after I got home from school," I said, picking him back up.

"Heh… you're good with kids," She said. I nodded and extended him towards her. "W- wha?"

"Hold him. He likes you," I said, smirking. She reluctantly grabbed him and he stared up at her quietly. "He's like Sam. Quiet babies for the most part."

"I forgot how light children are, as dumb as that sounds," Riven said, with a small smile. She looked at me. "Do you want children?"

"One day, yeah," I said, putting my hands in my pockets. I stretched my arms a bit. "When I'm rich and stuff."

"I wouldn't expect any less from you," Riven said, as she lowered the baby back into the crib. "Was Nicole like this?"

"Yeah, she was pretty calm too. Especially considering I was so young," I said. We left the room with the door opened slightly. We headed back to the kitchen after putting a blanket on Sam. I openes the fridge and grabbed some orange juice. "Breakfast is best at night."

"So when are you starting school?" Riven asked, as I sat across from her.

"Three months. Now that it's close, I'm starting to get lazy again," I said, lowering my head on the table. "Help me, Riven.'

"No. This is your rite of passage as a man," she said, with a grin.

"I don't wannnnna," I said, yawning. "Look at them. No bills, no jobs. I hate kids."

"You're something else," Riven said, laughing quietly. She looked around. "R-Riley."

"Not now…" I said, looking up at her. She nodded, standing up. Her sword appeared on her waist. I grabbed my phone and began to call Angie. "Any idea of who it is?"

"No. It's not too close yet," Riven said, as I heard Angie respond.

"Hey, Angie. Remember that thing I said would really suck if it happened… Yeah, it happened. Can you come over here as soon as you can?" I said quickly. She responded with a yes. "Thanks, I'll send you the address, bye."

"Is Irelia with her?" Riven asked as I stood up and shrugged.

"No idea. I didn't hear anything," I said. I texted the directions to Angie who, luckily, didn't live too far and I had warned this might happen.

"Good. Glad to see you prepared," Riven said, as we both peeked out of the window. "It's still a faint signal but we shouldn't ignore it."

"Could be a friendly champion for all we know," I said, heading back to the kitchen. I pressed a cup against the ice dispenser and filled it up with water. "The only thing that even remotely scares me is the thought of an Irelia and Angie duo scolding."

"What reason would they have to scold you?" Riven asked, as I moved back to the living room. I handed her the cup after I drank some.

"I doubt Angie needs a reason," I said, as Riven nodded.

"Should we tell Sam? What if she wakes up?" Riven said, as I sighed.

"Yeah, that's a good idea," I said, sitting down on the couch. Wouldn't want her waking up to strangers. I shook her gently. "Hey, wake up."

"Hmm?" she said, sitting up while rubbing her eyes.

"You should go sleep in your room. We'll be out here if you need anything," I said, as she nodded and stood up. I walked with her to her own room. Once she went in, I cracked the door and headed back to the living room. Riven followed me as I came back. Lights came in through the curtains. "She was out like a light. I think we won't have a problem."

"Alright, seems like they're here," Riven said, peeking through the curtains. I tilted my head towards the door as Riven followed me as I opened the door. Angie walked up to me, followed by Irelia and another champion I quickly recognized. "Hey. Thanks for doing this."

"No problem, what are friends for?" Angie said, with a grin. Irelia stepped aside and waved slightly.

"Angie explained the situation to me a while ago. I figured I should remain with her. Lee will go in my stead," Irelia said, as I nodded.

"Thank you, all of you," I said, smirking. I looked at Angie. "Sam just went to bed and Ian has been sleeping for a while. Hopefully they stay that way."

"Gotcha," she said, moving close to me as she passed. She whispered to me. "Be careful."

"Alright, let's move," I said, as Riven nodded.

After Angie and Irelia went inside, I looked at Lee Sin as we began to move.

"Thanks for coming with us," I said.

"Thank you for helping us as well. Irelia told me about what you two have been doing," he said.

"It felt natural," I said. I looked at Riven. "Anything?"

"Faint towards this direction," Riven said. She turned to Lee. "You must sense something, right?"

As… oddly kind of offensive as that sounded to me, she was right. He nodded.

"If we continue this way, we will find the source," he said, as I nodded.

"Let's hurry," I said, beginning to run.

* * *

We stopped once we saw a dent on the concrete. I stared with a bit of fear; I doubt this champion could break just a bone. I looked around.

"Should be around here, keep your guard up," Lee said, raising his arms. Riven gripped her sword as I looked around. Once our eyes met, she spoke.

"Can I have some money tomorrow?" she asked. I stared at her in confusion.

"Uhh, sure. What for?" I asked.

"I need to buy something," she said, looking around again. I nodded; it was her money in the end, which I had put into a separate account in my bank. "This way."

I followed Riven towards a grassy area with a few scattered trees. A common sight in Florida, often with for sale or lease sign. We heard a feminine voice and a low growling noise as we picked up the pace. A few trees were knocked down as we maneuvered the forested area.

After sweating in the disgusting humidity, we decided to split up. I took off my own way. I stared at the ground as I moved; my fear of snakes wasn't helping much right now. As I leaped over a fallen tree, I felt something grab my foot. I raised my sword as a woman raised her arms. It was another very familiar face to me. I knelt down, still terrified of the grass.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, as the blond woman nodded. "Who else is here?"

"Sion. I dropped my staff so I've been hiding until I find it," she said. I nodded as I stood up. I extended my hand to raise her up.

"I'm a summoner. I can send champions back to Valoran. Riven and a few Ionians have been helping me," I said, as she stared at my sword. "Yeah, this just showed up out of nowhere and I randomly seem to have champion like abilities."

"I have nothing else to believe right now. You seem like an honest guy," Lux said. She looked around. Her face looked like she was a bit scared. "Have any other Demacians been sent back?"

"Vayne helped us fight Maokai… That's… I think it," I said. "Wow, guess we haven't run into many Demacians."

"I suppose that's a good thing. I doubt any would attack anyone unprovoked," Lux said, as I began to walk. "W-Where are you going?"

"To find Riven or Lee," I said, as she reluctantly followed. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"If you say so," she said, nervously. "I'm sorry. I'd feel more comfortable if I had protection for myself."

"Fair enough," I said, as I grabbed her arm. "Let's hurry, I have kids to get back to."

"Wha-?"

We moved along a few trees as I kept my eyes out for any movement. Lux seemed to struggle as I ran so I slowed down to a walk.

"Sorry," I said, as she caught her breath.

"Don't worry about it," she said, as I noticed something behind her.

"Lux!" I quickly said, pushing her aside and raising the sword sideways. I placed my hand against the broad side of the blade as what seemed like a stump hit me. My arms stung for a second but I looked towards her. "Stay down."

"Riley!" Riven's voice said. She moved beside me, holding her sword as she always did. Lee was also beside her, with his arms raised.

"There is another champion?" he asked, confusedly. "Are you alright, Lux?"

"Yes, thank you," she said, looking at the monk. I was overwhelmingly confused as to how he knew it was Lux but I assumed I would never know.

"Lux lost her staff somewhere so, unless we find it, it's up to us," I began. "Lee, I hate to ask but could you keep his attention? Protect Lux and Riven at any cost."

"Do not worry, summoner. I braced myself for anything when Irelia requested my help," he said, nodding. Dang, he was cool despite how annoying he could be on League. I turned to Riven.

"We can focus on taking him down quickly. With Lee distracting him, we should have an easier time," I said, as she nodded slowly.

"Who knew it'd be fighting a former Noxian general in another world," Riven said. With a swipe of her hand, her sword doubled in size and power.

I stared at my own sword and thought of a thought I hated to think about.

'I need to prevent that however I can,' I thought, as the vision of Riven left my head. I raised the reforged blue sword and tilted my head.

Once we moved forward, we heard a loud, booming roar. It hurt my ears for a bit as we looked around. I saw a shadowy, large creature move slowly towards us… I couldn't help but remember old, goofball Sion. As I finally got close enough to see, I was a bit scared. He looked terrifying while his weapon was almost as tall as me. Something shone underneath his fore arm…

"Is… Is that Lux's staff?" Riven asked, a bit disturbed. I nodded slowly.

"Guess the no pain thing isn't just a bunch of lines," I said. Another load roar came, as the three of us moved to a side from the flying debris. "Okay, stay focused."

Lee Sin moved forward, extending his arm outward. What seemed like a gust of wind moved quickly as Riven moved quickly behind Sion. Lee leapt towards the Noxian champion as he raised his axe above his head. Lee slammed the ground with his fist and dashed towards Riven quickly, evading the falling axe. He struggled to move towards him as Riven and I moved towards his sides.

Once he noticed us, a red aura covered him. Riven and I began a coordinated assault; whenever Sion turned, one of us would move as Lee would switch places with that one. I leaped forward and reached for the lodged staff. I tried to pull it out and felt something grab my shirt. I felt heat; Riven jumped towards me, cutting me free. I moved away as Sion angrily swung his arm, knocking Riven away.

"That thing isn't moving," I said, as Sion shook his head wildly.

With anger in his voice, he began to charge towards Riven. I looked towards Lee and we simultaneously ran towards them.

"Lee, we'll cover you after," I shouted, as he nodded. He dashed towards Riven and raised his arms, brunting the initial blow.

Moving as fast as I could, I picked up Riven. We both moved in front of Lee and raised our blades in defense from the axe.

"Gah!-" Riven grunted, as I felt my arm nearly break again. The pain shot through my body as I grabbed the staff again.

"Go!"

With a swift motion, Lee swung his body and kicked Sion with enough force to knock him away. The staff remained in my hand as I felt my hand burn from the friction.

"Riley, over here!" Lux shouted, as she stood a few yards away from us. I tossed the staff towards her. She pointed it towards Sion. A red beam came out from her staff before I had to cover my eyes from the blast of light.

I fell to the ground, staring up at the cloudy sky. My body was sore but at least everything was intact; I sat up and saw Riven's hand in front of me. I grabbed her hand and pulled myself up; Lee and Lux had come over.

"Thanks guys," I said, as Lux nodded happily.

"We should hurry back," Riven said, almost whispering. Lee Sin smirked.

"Have you taken a liking to the children?" he asked as Riven turned away.

"They're… they're cute," she said, as I laughed.

* * *

After sending Sion back to Valoran and adding another person to the 'I won't go back until I find my friends' group, we returned to the house. Irelia stood with us outside as Riven went inside with Angie.

"I trust Lee was helpful?" she asked. I nodded. "I expected Riven would trust him the easiest."

"From my perspective, you never realize just how strong his kick actually is," I said. She nodded with a grin.

"Maybe that'll keep you from doing anything dumb," Irelia said, staring up at the clouds. "It's been raining pretty often."

"Yeah, the weather here is really unpredictable," I said. She turned back. "Is Lux gonna be a problem?"

"No, she will remain safe with us," she said. "I need you to contact me whenever a champion appears from now on."

"I will… But why do you say that?" I asked.

"Remember when you showed me the list of champions remaining?" she asked. Once I nodded, she continued. "I don't want Riven to have to face any remaining Noxians alone."

"What are you saying?" I asked, defensively. She sighed.

"You know what I mean. You of all people know why being prepared is a necessity," she said, sharply. She moved next to me. "I don't want to sound mean but I have to protect you as well. Angie would not let me live it down if anything happened."

"Heh… Thanks," I said, as she nodded.

We headed back inside where Angie stood beside Lee and Lux. She hit me on the head lightly.

"What was that for?" I asked, staring at her fist on my forehead.

"I don't need a reason to hit you," she said, quickly. She grinned. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" I asked, in confusion. She grinned… which usually ended up costing me money.

"Oh don't worry, just make sure you keep an open schedule, wake up at 9 in the morning, and don't ignore my texts," she said, happily. "Well, let's get going then."

"Thanks again, Summoner!" Lux said, as they began to leave as a group.

Irelia looked back at me with a small nod as she closed the door behind her. I waved even though no one was there and began to head towards the back of the house. It was quiet again and only the sound of the clock on the wall's ticking hand faintly filled my ears. I peeked inside of Sam's room. Even though my body was sore beyond belief and my ears still rang from Sion's battlecries, she was sound asleep. If Nicole was here, I'd jokingly say that's how she acted when she was still cute. I continued to the other room with a small smile.

"Hey, how's he doing?" I asked, as Riven looked down at the white crib.

"He's still asleep," she said, quietly. She turned her head towards me. "You… trust me, right?"

"Of course I do," I said, standing in the middle of the room. "Why?"

"Just wondering," she said, turning towards me. Her hand was bloodied. "I know Noxians don't have the best reputation but there are good people there. None of that even matters right now. I fight for you…"

"Riven, I know that. There's bad people everywhere," I said, smiling. "Plus, you don't fight for me. We fight together."

"Such a 'you' response," she said, with a small smile. She rubbed her hands together and winced. "Sion's axe grazed me. It looks way worse than it is."

"Let's get that cleaned up," I said, as I heard a door open.

"Miss Riven, are you okay?" Sam's voice said, as she stood behind the cracked door.

"Yeah. A cup fell and it cut her a little," I said, as Sam came up to us.

"I wanted a drink," she said, yawning. She grabbed Riven's skirt. "You need a band aid."

As a blushing Riven was escorted out by a six year old doctor, I felt my phone vibrate. Wow, I wonder who it was. All I needed to read was the subject line to sigh.

"This is gonna cost you."


	29. Thank You

**We are nearing the end of this year long journey. I expect at least 3 more chapters before we reach the end. Thanks to everyone who's been reading. I remember years ago reading a story where a guy said he would update once every two weeks and thinking "Wow, that's really dumb, he should update more." before realizing I became that guy but with less stories to manage! This time, I have been working a second story and training for a promotion at work so hopefully those are good excuses for once :**

**Also, screw Cloud 9 again they fail me c'mon guys...**

* * *

While I was sure some people's lives revolved around their significant other, I wasn't sure how many had so many plans set up by an ex-girlfriend. As sour as I acted, this wasn't a horrible plan; a simple beach day and the 'costing me' part was for food to feed multiple champions and Angie's Kog'maw-like hunger. Only one thing bothered me…

"I am also worried," Riven began, crossing her arms. "We could very well run out of chips with Angie there. I'd advise keeping a secret bag behind, just in case."

"N-Not exactly my first worry but that is important," I said, focusing on not killing us. That was a weird thought by her and I was trying not to laugh. "Wouldn't so many champions together be easy to be found?"

"Yes but I doubt anyone would attack us. With so many of us, including a summoner to help, it would be suicide," Riven began. "You shouldn't worry too much."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," I said, nodding. "Our only worry should be your chip crisis."

"Yes please, protect them with your life," Riven said, staring at me with a serious face. I nodded with an equally serious face.

We were headed back to the usual park by the beach we went to. Angie had decided to bring all the champions together and probably was craving a certain food I guessed from a picture she sent me of meats she had bought. Classic Angie… Riven stared out the window as we made our way around the wooded bend.

"I wonder how nice it'd be to be so rich you can live out here," I said. Riven looked at me.

"Don't you dislike the ocean? It wouldn't suit you," Riven said, as I shrugged a bit.

"Yeah but the houses are pretty nice here. Nicole and my mom would probably go to the beach enough for me disliking it," I said. "What do you want to do tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure. Why?" Riven asked. Her usual response and follow up question.

"Just wondering. I have no problem staying at home," I said, as we stopped. I barely thought about this drive anymore as it had become second nature by now.

The Florida heat always felt nice for a split second after coming out of an air conditioned car. A few parking spots away was a familiar car but it wasn't Angie's… I couldn't remember at the moment. I opened the trunk and pulled out a cooler and sighed.

"Man, just staring at this thing makes me tired," I said, as Riven stared at me. She grabbed the sides and put it on the ground quickly. "Hey, I could've done it."

"You said it would make you tired," she said, looking at me. I scratched my cheek while I looked for words. "Is this about you trying to impress me with strength?"

"What, no. Well, kinda. Guess I was used to Angie making me do the hard work. I'm saying used to like anything changed…" I said, as Riven chuckled.

"I spent years training my body. I have noticed you seem tired lately so let me help with things like this," she said. I nodded slowly. "We both need to remain vigilant."

"Yeah that's important," I said, as we moved towards the pavilion which Angie dubbed her own.

Once it got into view, I was a bit in shock of how many champions Irelia had gathered. At that moment it hit me… the car earlier was Angie's mom's. After no doubt forcing a few to sit in the trunk, I felt a bit uneasy. I could almost feel Riven tensing up. As we walked closer, Angie noticed us and ran towards us. She leaned forward.

"Remember this park doesn't allow alcohol so keep it hidden," she whispered as I stared down at her.

"You're an alcoholic," I said. She crossed her arms. She had a yellow hairband on her head which, again, looked strangely made for her. "How did everyone fit, by the way?"

"Let's just say I'm happy a cop didn't see," she said, winking. She waved towards Riven. "Good morning, Riven."

"Hello," she said, smiling. "Hopefully we were not too late."

"Late enough!" Angie said, glaring at me.

"You literally texted me a list of stuff to go buy and to come here an hour and a half ago," I said, as she put her index finger near my lips.

"No excuses! You know better than to keep ladies waiting," She said, shaking her finger. I almost moved to bite it. "Now let's go, you're in charge of cooking."

"Why me?" I asked, nonchalantly. She grinned.

"Because I said so!"

* * *

All sarcasm aside, I didn't hate cooking. It brought back memories of past birthdays where my dad and all the other dads would stand around the grill that each pavilion had and drink beers while cooking. While I wasn't much of a drinker so early, it was easy to ignore Angie while doing something else. After twenty or so minutes, I had made quite a few burgers, sausages, and hot dogs; Not too shabby, I thought.

"Good job, minion," Angie said, cheerfully.

"Minion? I'm the main character of this story," I said, staring behind me. I quickly shook my head and looked back.

The champions that were there were Irelia, Karma, Lee, Shen, Akali, Kennen, Master Yi, and Lux. Irelia and Riven had been dragged along with Angie to make salads; it was like being back at Wendys for a second.

"Okay, grab what you want, everyone," I said, loudly enough to be heard. Irelia walked over to me.

"We want to thank you for your commitment, Summoner Riley," Irelia began. Everyone seemed to nod at different times. "Your friends suggested we all do something to celebrate what you have done to help us all."

"Yeah, so stop looking so gloomy all the time," Angie said, smirking. I felt a small smile form on my face. I looked over at Riven, who stood quietly but seemingly happy amongst a crowd of champions who hated where she was born and raised.

"Wait… if this is for me… Why did I have to cook everything?" I asked, as Angie laughed.

"Still my chapter of this story," She said, smiling.

* * *

The next day came quickly. I laid in my bed, staring at the ceiling. Riven was asleep beside me; I grabbed my phone and stared at the time.

"Eighteen more hours till work…" I said, putting the phone down. Once it touched the nightstand and I retracted my arm under the blanket, I heard it vibrate. I ignored it and closed my eyes again.

I had been feeling way more tired than usual lately. I blamed it on the harder physical toll this new job had on us but wouldn't admit it to anyone. Riven turned towards me with her eyes still closed. I slowly sat up and grabbed my phone. It was a text from… I wonder who, telling me to open the door.

I got up as slowly as I could and headed towards the front door. No one seemed to be home except maybe Nicole. I opened the door to see Irelia and Angie staring at me.

"Put some pants on," Angie said, glaring at me. I looked down… Whoops.

"Boxers are pretty much shorts… What?" I asked, as she let herself in. Irelia hesitated but walked in slowly as I shut the door.

"You and Riven have been acting weird and I'm here to find out why," Angie asked, sitting on the couch. I grabbed a pair of shorts from the dryer.

"We're just tired. I have to work for my money," I said, sarcastically.

"Ouch, that stung. Too bad, I'm rich," she retorted, quickly. I sat across from her and Irelia.

"Listen to me, Riley," Irelia began. "Champions are at our strongest when a summoner's magic helps us. It's how our body's feel lighter and we don't tire from our abilities. You and Riven seem to still be sharing this magic you possess and it might be the reason you feel drained."

"Really?" I asked, as she nodded. "What about you? Lee?"

"We tire just as everyone else but you two are usually in the fight longer than any of us," Irelia said. "Notice that Riven's blade gets reforged for longer than usual. You have more power here than most summoners I've met."

"Why me?" I sighed. Angie stood up and headed towards the kitchen. "Where are you going?"

"You need food. Breakfast is important," she said. "Even though it's almost one o'clock."

"I'm sorry this happened to you. I would like you to refrain from fighting unless it's necessary," Irelia began, as I cut her off.

"I can't do that," I said, sitting forward. "I can't just stand by while people are in danger."

"There's enough of us here for you to command. Riven needs your energy and you need hers. It's a vicious cycle that could end up hurting you both," Irelia said, firmly.

"I don't care. Riven and I can handle it," I said, crossing my arms. "I'll accept the help but we won't sit in the side lines."

"You sure are stubborn," Irelia said, rubbing her forehead. She sighed. Her tone changed to a more grim tone. "If you die, no one here will survive. Our worlds will clash and everyone will be in danger. You need to be alive for the sake of both worlds."

"I really don't want to think of dying on my last day off this week," I said, lowering my head.

"I don't want to anger you, far from it. Just be more careful, alright? We can help ease the burden," Irelia said, as I nodded.

"Alright," I said, as I smelled bacon burning. "How do you know me so well."

"Hello," Riven's voice said, as the bedroom door closed. She looked at everyone in confusion. "Good morning."

"Good afternoon," Irelia said, waving. "Angie insisted she wanted breakfast food but not alone."

"Just sounds like an excuse to eat more and not feel guilty," I said, crossing my arms. Part of me thought I'd black out from a hot frying pan hitting me on the head. Riven sat beside me.

"Thank you for yesterday," Riven said.

"It was a show of good intent. We're allies right now. We will continue to be allies," Irelia said, as Nicole came out of her room.

"Breakfast lunch is ready. Come and get it, you bums!"

* * *

The night came quickly and I found myself in Angie's house. Riven sat beside me, in a dress Angie had bought her, in front of a table covered in food. Across from us were her parents and sitting at the end of the table was her. It looked like an uncomfortable scene from a teen romance movie where the dad would start questioning me…

"Angie told us what's been going on," her mother began. I stiffened up.

"Oh… uhm," I began. I didn't know what to say.

"While it… took a very long time for us to believe this," her dad began. "Her grades have been dropping lately, she's been out late, and all she talks about is you. Where do you think I'm going with this?"

"Why bring us here to scold us?" Riven said, harshly.

"We didn't," her mom said, smiling. "Someone was behind this."

I stared at Angie, who was waving with a grin. I sighed.

"What's going on…" I asked, feeling defeated.

"A dinner to thank you. Angie's grades have not dropped but she finally has a friend who cares so much about her," her dad said. He turned to Riven. "Two friends, I should say."

"I obviously get my acting skills from my parents," Angie said, proudly.

"We want to thank you and let you know that you have our full support," her mother said. "Hard to believe we've known your family for years yet you two only met recently."

"Well… it's no problem then," I said, quietly. I stared at the food and felt my tiredness return. "We… Should go."

"Is something the matter?" her mom asked me. I shook my head.

"Just… Kinda tired."


	30. Fired Up

**Hello people, welcome to the last 3 chapters, starting now!**

**Enjoy :**

* * *

May.

Angie stood across from me in a short, slightly curled light brown wig. She wore a pink sweater jacket over a white dress shirt, along with a red ribbon tied in a bow, and a short black skirt. Around her waist was a belt with a holster, holding a realistic looking gun with an orange tip. She looked fantastic…

Beside her was Riven. She was wearing a knee length dress with five black circles with yellow buttons, black leggings, and blue gloves and boots. Her hair was pinned up and tucked in under a small, blue hat which was held down with a hidden hairband. In her arms was a brown book with distinct marking on the cover. She also looked incredible…

"What do you think?" Angie asked, turning to face me.

"I thought you'd just procrastinate," I said, smiling. "They look fantastic."

"Good, I want you to run our panel," she said, giving me a thumbs up. I blinked a few times. "Not exactly ours but there were some people with a Persona panel and I volunteered you to find some trivia questions. You're good at knowing small, dumb facts."

"A little warning would be nice…" I said, as she crossed her arms. She looked like Yukari… but acted more like Elizabeth.

"Two weeks is plenty time," she said, grinning. "I'll send you their contact info later. You don't look too bad neither."

"Thanks for helping. I'm surprised you know how to sew," I said, looking at a mirror she had in her room. Aside from not wearing the wig at the moment, the outfit looked well crafted. Angie had even ordered the headphones but I was on my own with music player.

"What are friends for," she began, falling onto her bed. She made a girly squeal. "I'm so excited, only two more weeks."

"Have you been to one of these before?" Riven asked, as Angie nodded and turned onto her stomach.

"Once with a group of friends in high school. I never made anything though so I'm kinda proud of these," she said, grinning. "So we have enough for three different days of costumes. We just have to get our supplies."

"What do we need?" Riven asked.

"Food, mostly," she began. "My parents gave us some money towards the hotel so we won't have to worry too much about that payment."

"By the way, that dinner was still awkward," I said, sitting beside her. Riven looked around, eventually stopping at the mirror.

"What? My parents said they'll help you however they can," she said, rolling back over. She looked at me with her upside down head and I noticed her… shirt was nice. "I just told them to make you worried. It was fun, wasn't it?"

"Not my idea of fun per say…" I began, looking up at Riven. "You guys hungry?"

* * *

My everyday routine was beginning to feel mundane. The new job was still nice but being in the heat was beginning to take its toll on me. I was almost as dark as Riven, which Angie got mad at me for, and I lived for the weekends and bedtime. Once we got home, we usually ate dinner alone and played video games until it was late. I had stopped following the LCS or checking the League website altogether… I wondered how long would it take for me to go back to League after all this was over.

I stood outside of my little sister's room. My hand was raised but I wasn't knocking yet. I hadn't talked to her in a while… I swallowed and knocked.

"Hey," I said, loud enough to hopefully be heard. The door opened slowly as her head came around. Once she saw me, she opened the door. She was dressed to go out… Like most middle schoolers looked when they tried hard to look mature. "Going out somewhere?"

"Yeah, I'm going downtown with some friends," she said, looking at me, holding her phone. "Need something?"

"No… just wondering how you've been," I began, scratching my head. I heard a car horn in the distance. "I've been busy with work and stuff. I haven't gotten to see you much. Speaking of downtown, need a-"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, cutting me off. Her phone had played a tone and she had begun pocketing it. "They're here. I gotta go, sorry! We can talk later, right? Bye!"

"-a ride?..." I finished, as she was already opening the house door. I sighed and walked inside her room. I sat against the window and looked around.

When we first moved in, this used to be my room. One of my uncles lived with us while Nicole slept in my parents room as a kid. I liked the view of my current room plus it was a bit bigger. Riven stared at me from the door for a second before moved beside me. She rested her head on my shoulder, grabbing my shirt.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. I sighed.

"None of this is your fault," I said, resting my head against Nicole's bed now.

"We… need to talk," Riven said, moving beside me. I nodded. "I heard what Irelia said that morning."

"That doesn't mat-"

"Don't start. It matters… To me, at least," She began, in a harsh tone at first. Her voice softened again. "We've avoided the subject for enough time… our list is almost empty and… we're going to return to our world."

"I know," I struggled to say. My throat hurt; I felt like I was trying to swallow a rock. "I'm… okay."

"There's no knowing what will happen. We might forget everything about each other once this is all done. You're a good person, Riley. You saved hundred of people without complaints or second thoughts… you saved my life maybe a hundred times," she began, chuckling quietly. "When this is all finished… stay close with Angie. It's obvious she cares a lot about you."

"You're acting like you're dying or something…" I said. All words I said weighed a million pounds.

"I'll never die with you by my side, that I'm sure of," she said. She grabbed my arm. "I want you to not be sad. Let's have fun at this convention. Everything will work out in the end."

"I know. I told you this was my job for now," I said, feeling better. She put her arms around my neck. She stood up and lifted me up.

"Let's go," she said, as I followed.

"Where to?" I asked, as she smiled.

"You're young, let's have fun," she said. A former Noxian poster child of strength who fights for what she believes in and some kid that played too much of an online game; who'd have thought?

* * *

"Alright, sounds good," I said, holding my phone up with my shoulder. I wrote down a time and a few numbers. "We'll see you guys soon then… Alright, bye, thanks again."

I leaned back on my chair and stretched my arms. Throughout the next few days, I had been talking with the group Angie had volunteered us and finally decided on a place to meet after they liked my questions. We also talked about who was dressed as what and, after finding out they were wearing outfits from another game on the day of the panel, we found an easy compromise.

I looked over my shoulder; Riven was hunched over the DS with Nicole's laptop beside her. She had been helping me look up a few things I was unsure about well into the night. Nicole had gone downtown again but this time Jamie and Angie had ended up going with them. I stood up and stretched my arms again.

"Wanna head there now?" I asked, as she nodded. She turned the handheld off and put it onto the charger.

"Sure. What are they doing?" Riven asked, grabbing a jacket. I grabbed my own and my usual pocket stuff and we headed out the door, saying bye to my parents who were watching a movie.

"I love this week. This cold front was just what I needed," I said, pushing my hair back when the wind blew it forward.

"Do you not cut your hair often?" Riven asked. I nodded as we walked together. She grabbed my arm.

"I had to look professional when I was a manager. I'm glad that's over in a way… I hated having to shave twice a week," I said, touching my face. Prickly… my father's side definitely contributed to these overclocking hair follicles.

"It looks nice," she said, as she let go. We got inside the car and she continued speaking. "Hopefully that wig doesn't make you too hot."

"Probably but I'm sure you'll see other people in way hotter clothing," I said. I grabbed my phone after a text came in. It was just Angie telling me to hurry up. "Angie's getting impatient."

"Your sister has been going out alot lately," Riven said, as I shrugged.

"No clue why. Kids will be kids, I guess," I sighed. "I didn't like to go out much when I was her age but I had more friends around the neighbourhood."

"What was that like?" she asked me. She turned down the radio; Aerosmith was playing, it was a good streak of songs on Pandora.

"It was fun. All the weekend, we skateboarded and fell. We played on the swings even though we felt too old to be there. We walked around for miles trying to figure out where to get the most food for the seven dollars we had," I said. A nostalgic smile formed on my face.

"What happened?" Riven asked.

"People moved on. Some began to party hard, others just moved away. Some I kept in touch with but I made more friends in school," I said. "Actually, I stayed in touch with most of them in some way. Everything went well, I'd say."

"Well that's nice to hear," She began, smiling.

The drive to our downtown area was about fifteen minutes. We continued talking about small stuff. Riven asked more about my childhood and school years and I answered with various stories I could remember off the top of my head. The small talked continued until we got to the tall parking lot building. I grabbed the white ticket and we found a spot on the second floor, conveniently near the elevators and stairs.

The entrance to the parking area connected to the center of the downtown area. The building made a two story half circle around a large fountain with jets and colored lights. Near the fountains was the stage where bands played.

"Remember this place?" I asked Riven. "This is where we fought Kha'Zix months ago."

"I remember. I wonder how much we've changed. It feels like years ago, doesn't it?" she said. I agreed with her on that one… time was moving so fast lately.

"Let's hurry, I'm hungry," I said, which seemed to be our group's catch phrase.

We walked down the stairs and began to move through the crowds of people. As we headed to the restaurant Angie had told me to go to, Riven grabbed my arm.

* * *

The dimly lit Chinese restaurant was exactly how you'd imagine it; Everything looked and smelled great. Once the person at the front asked how many, Angie waved at us towards the back. The waitress nodded and we headed towards the back. We sat down beside Angie and across from Nicole, Jamie, and two boys around their age. I sighed mentally and rubbed my eyes physically. I looked at Angie, who was smirking.

"What?..." I asked, tiredly already. Nicole fidgeted slightly. I stared at the large plate on the table and jabbed one with a single chopstick.

"This is Kevin. Your little sister's boyfriend," Angie said, putting one arm around Nicole, who smiled awkwardly. "Alongside my cute little sister's friend who is a boy also, Jeff."

"Hey," each said in their own way. I yawned.

"Hey. I'm Riley, this is Riven," I said, looking towards Nicole. "You're not hiding this from our parents, right?"

"Of course not!" she said, quickly, "You're just never home or asleep lately… but I understand why."

"I'm sorry. I just don't want our parents blindsided by something like this," I said, chuckling. "Dad said we couldn't let you date till you're fourty."

"See, and you were worried for some reason," Angie said, to apparently both of them.

"Just don't be an idiot," I added, grabbing my drink from the waitress. "Thank you."

"How did you two meet?" Riven asked, looking at the kids.

"School. He's going to the same high school," Nicole said, as the boy nodded.

"Nicole told me you went there. She showed me some of your stuff. They were hilarious," the boy, Kevin, told me. I took a bite of the food.

"It's a good school, you'll like it," I said, nodding.

The evening continued on.

The two young couples continued to talk about random people and subjects in their school while Angie asked me about the questions for the convention. From the corner of my eye, I saw people running. After a few seconds, other people noticed and I felt a weird sensation; Riven grabbed my arm.

"I feel it too… let's go," I said, standing up. I dropped two twenty dollar bills on the table and stated at Angie. "You'll actually pay next time. Let's go."

"Guys, stay close," Angie said, to the four others.

We stood up and headed towards the door. Many others followed and a uniformed man stopped us quickly.

"Everyone line up, there's a fire and we have to evacuate everyone safely," the policeman said. I motioned for everyone to get behind me. I leaned in towards Angie and Riven.

"Once we get outside, we'll head for the car. We still have those masks…" I whispered. The masks we definitely didn't forget to return. Angie nodded.

"Breakin' the rules, I love it," she said,smirking devilishly.

"Yeah… While you leave and stay with them," I said, as she nodded.

"You know I'm joking. We'll be fine," she said, nodding. I looked at Riven.

"They said a fire… I'm sensing more than one champion around," Riven said. "No one familiar."

"I see. Hopefully they're friendly," I said, as we followed the man into the streets. The air smelled of smoke as everyone around us seemed to be in a panic but remained in an orderly fashion. I looked at Nicole. "Listen to Angie, okay? Don't do anything dumb."

"Okay, be careful," she said. The other three teenagers looked at her strangely.

Once we neared the stairway to the garage, we split from the group of people, running as fast as we could and not looking back.

* * *

"I forgot how weird these masks feel," Riven said, adjusting the wooden mask on her face. She also adjusted her jacket. The entrance to the garage was blocked off but the side entrances hadn't been yet. We moved quickly back before any of that changed.

"Lead the way," I said, following her. The jacket I had put on made everything way more uncomfortable. The masks did help us from the smoke slightly as we moved through side streets quickly to avoid being seen.

We eventually slowed to a walk.

"Is everything alright with Nicole then?" Riven asked me. I nodded.

"Yeah, I don't mind her dating. I was just worried she thought I was ignoring her or something," I said. The streets were empty and a dim orange light could be seen from the horizon. "Wonder who started this fire?"

"No clue at the moment," Riven said, crossing her arms. She extended one arm forward and stopped me. A wooden door shattered a few feet away as our swords turned in sync.

"Who's there?" I said, as a sigh came from the door. The woman lowered her rifle as the second one jumped in place with hissing hands. "Oh… hey."

"Riven? What's going on?" Caitlyn said, stepping forward. I lowered my mask and sighed.

"Guess the masks don't help, huh?" I said, as she nodded.

"The sword gives it away," Vi said, grinning. She rubbed her shoulder. "Help us catch Jinx, will ya?"

"Of course. Is it just the two of you against her?" Riven asked, as I put the mask back on.

"There's someone else with her but she was the cause of the fire, that's for sure," Vi added, as she walked towards us. She pointed at me. "Who's the kid? And what's with that sword?"

"Long story short… He's a summoner that's helped return most champions to our world. Let's get going," Riven said, as Caitlyn looked at her strangely.

"Makes as much sense as anything else lately," She admitted, tilting her head and held her rifle in what looked like a more comfortable position. "Lead the way, let Vi do the grunt work."

"Awww, it's like my birthday," Vi said, sarcastically. She looked towards Riven. "Let me know if you see anything from back there, cupcake."

"Of course," she said, chuckling.

Caitlyn and I moved behind the other two champions. Part of my brain began thinking of eating barbecue from the smell of smoke…

We moved towards the piers. It was a horrible sight; I began hearing sirens of fire trucks.

"Damn, I never expected to live the Jinx music video…" I said quietly. Riven looked back at us.

"Three. There's three champions just up ahead," Riven said. Vi's gauntlets hissed as she raised her fists.

"Finally, no dumb summoners to stop me from bashing her face in," she began, turning to me. "No offense."

"Uhh… go for it, she's kinda destroying everything," I said, as she grinned.

"Let's hurry," Caitlyn said, as we moved together towards a few buildings.

We were on a usually pretty crowded streets. The heat was unbearable in these masks and jackets but we didn't have time to think about that. Two taller champions stood in the middle of the street, holding a girl. Once we ran towards them, Darius stood beside Swain, holding Jinx with her weapons on the ground. The Master Tactician cackled as I stared at a pissed off Vi.

"The entire Piltover police force couldn't do this?" Darius said, in his low, angry sounding voice. He pushed her down onto the ground and stepped on her hand when she reached for her weapon. I clenched my sword tightly.

"Hand her over, Noxus has no business helping a criminal like her." Caitlyn said, pointing her rifle towards their direction.

"Just return to your world. Otherwise, we'll have to fight," I shouted, as Darius grinned. Swain spoke.

"Well, if it isn't Riven. You've come long way from being a Crimson Elite member, haven't you?" he said. His tone changed. "I should've killed you when I had the chance."

"Too late for that, you old fool," Riven said. Her body shifted to her battle stance; her form seemed perfect at the moment. "People like you ruined what Noxus really was."

"Noxus never changed, idiot girl," Swain said, laughing. "You were just a pawn that grew up too fast and in her own little dream land."

"We'll settle that conflict later," Riven said. She swung her sword as it extended to its reforged form. "I have another world to help."

"Do you think you have a chance here?" Darius said, brandishing his axe. He lowered the blade beside Jinx's head. "Let's just get rid of this nuisance first."

"As if!" Vi yelled, rushing past me. Fist first, she collided with his axe's handle. Vi kicked Jinx's weapon towards us and we moved forward. Riven dashed towards Swain, he moved away as fast as he could; I knelt down beside Jinx.

"Hey, can you move?" I asked, as she sat up. She shook her head and I lifted her up. Behind me, Vi raised her arms defensively as the large axe swung down. I moved towards Caitlyn, who had her weapon raised. I set Jinx down in front of Caitlyn. "Stay here. Keep an eye on her… Don't let Vi do anything dumb.".

"Yep, that sounds like a day in our office," Caitlyn sighed, as she returned to her aiming.

I ran back towards the fight; Vi struggled to block Darius' axe while Riven seemed to be reluctant to move. I stood between them both and then headed towards Riven.

"I have an idea," I said, as she looked at me.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Switch with Vi," I said, as she looked towards the enforcer. "She can get to Swain better and we'll do better against his weapon."

"Alright," she nodded.

Swain stared at us strangely as we both took off running. He seemed to yell something towards Riven but it was hard to hear over the other noises. Riven moved up and pushed herself using Vi's shoulder as I got close to her.

"Go for Swain, you and Cait have a better shot against him," I said, as she nodded.

"Good thinkin' kid, beat his ass for me," Vi said, grinning. She stretched her arms. "C'mere, birdbrain!"

Once I turned to the Noxian man, I raised my own sword towards my chest. I focused on what was going on around me; part of my hometown was burning down because of these two and I had to stop them. I opened my eyes to a bright blue glow. I pulled the mask up onto my hair and moved forward behind the man.

Riven fought savagely. She threw herself onto the man, who grinned and blocked her strikes. I lunged at him and felt my blade cut into his armor; he swung his arm and knocked me away. Riven jumped towards him with her sword. Darius used the momentum to swung his axe around his body. Riven ducked under and stopped it on thr second rotation with her shoulder guard. It had penetrated and she was bleeding. She still swung he sword at him and he staggered. Once he caught his breath, he went to grab Riven, who dashed away.

"I've had enough of this, child," Darius said, moving his axe behind her. He pulled her towards him and swung towards her legs. I ran towards the man as Riven yelled in pain or anger, stunning him briefly. Darius leaped towards Riven, holding his axe above his head.

"Die, Riven!" he yelled, as he came down. Once he landed, and I couldn't feel my arms, he staggered in disbelief. I stood between them, with my own weakened shield. My arms had deep cuts but I could still move. I pushed back and Riven stood up beside me. She smiled at me.

"Thank you. Let's finish this and help Vi out," she said, walking forward.

"Coward," Darius began, coughing. "Noxus' poster child needs help. What a whelp."

"Darius," Riven began, raising her sword. She thrusted the blade into the man's chest, piercing his armor. "Fuck you."

"Hey, language," I said, smirking. "This is rated T."

"What is?" Riven asked, confusedly. I shrugged. A gunshot rang in my ear, followed by Vi's voice.

"Wooo, nice shot, cupcake," Vi said, grinning. Swain fell to the ground, coughing as well, gripping his sides. "Should've stayed in the bird bath."

"Vi, shut up," Caitlyn sighed as we walked over. Riven knelt down and picked up the man by his collar. He panicked.

"R-Riven, you don't want to hurt me… I was the only one who cared when you were a child!" he said. His voice shook as Riven raised her mask.

"I want you to see what you destroyed… And failed. This world will be repaired and, I swear, so will Noxus. I'll see you again one day, old man. Just hope we are summoned to the same side," Riven said, smirking. She turned to me. "Send him back."

"Alright," I nodded. Riven kicked the man onto the ground. She picked up his cane and snapped it like a twig, tossing it onto him as well. I lowered my mask and focused on what I had done over a hundred times now.

* * *

I laid on the cold, concrete edge of town. Beneath me were roaring waves and the sound of sirens and people in the distance. My head rested on Riven's lap until I heard Caitlyn cough. I sat up and stretched.

"Ready?" I asked, as she nodded.

"Took a good amount of energy to keep Vi from… Being Vi," She began, rubbing her forehead. "Although, she has a suggestion."

"What suggestion?" Riven asked, as Vi came into sight, carrying Jinx's guns.

"We stay and help. Swain threatened her to start firing to cause a commotion here. While she's an idiot for listening," Vi snarled. "We will send her back for now and deal with her later."

"Really? That doesn't seem like you," Riven said. Vi turned her head towards Caitlyn and Riven nodded. "I see. Makes sense."

"Let's get this over with then, I can ask Irelia to help here too…" I began, walking towards Vi and Jinx. I moved my hand. "Time to go back, crazy."

"Thanks for saving me… you're almost better than a bigger gun," she said, in a mild shriek. She stepped forward and kissed my cheek. "Buh-byeeeee!"

"Uhm…"

"L… Let's find Angie and the rest…" I said, awkwardly. Everyone else nodded slowly. Riven seemed the most confused… at least she wasn't slapping me like Angie probably would. I felt something hit my back… Hard.

"Nice job kid, you're pretty smart," Vi said, smirking. "Usually summoners are a pain in the ass."

"Ignore her," Caitlyn said, sighing.

As the two officers continued to bicker, I looked around before we began walking. Hopefully everything would still be alright… Lots of people worked and lived here. My mind moved to Riven; Irelia warned about me about fighting Noxians but Riven wanted nothing to do with them. Was that how Riven actually is? Did anyone who was against her know any of this?

* * *

Almost a mile away from downtown, everything was back to normal. After almost two hours of waiting around, the police were ready to escort people back to the garages to grab their vehicles. A man stood with a megaphone.

"Please only the driver come with us to make this all smoother. This will take a while no matter what," the policeman said, as no one seemed too happy. I turned to the champions.

"Riven, keep and eye on them," I said, as she nodded. I handed her my mask and sword, covered in the jacket I wore. I turned to Nicole. "You alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Is Riven alright?" she asked, worriedly. I nodded.

"Yeah, could've been worse," I said. I turned to Angie. "Let's go, I need sleep."

"You always do," she said as we began to walk with the slow group. Once we got away from everyone, she spoke up again. "What happened back there?"

"Those two were after a criminal from their city and we ended up fighting the people Irelia warned us about," I began. I was paranoid of the people around us but no one seemed to care. "Big axe guy and mage guy. Riven got an axe to the shoulder but her shoulder guard took most of it. My arms got cut up too but it just looks bad."

"Good, stop hurting yourself, you idiot," She said. She shivered from a cool gust of wind as I enjoyed it. "Freak, how are you not cold?"

"I've been running around while the city was on fire. I need this breeze," I said. The group moved into the garage and everyone moved back towards their cars.

"Want to do something tomorrow?" she asked, moving alongside me. We were on the same floor.

"Yeah, sure. Let me know," I said, stopping where I had parked. "Good thing this place was fine, I bet this would've ended up killing me with insurance payments somehow."

"I bet you'll cry when you have to get rid of this car," Angie said, sarcastically. I shrugged.

"Yeah, probably. That's why I don't like those car insurance commercials where the husband has to buy a van," I said. She smiled and nodded.

"What? You expect to drive a kid or two in this small thing? What a shitty dad you'll be someday," she said, jokingly… I hoped.

"Hey… There's a backseat. You didn't have a problem when I'm driving three hours to a convention," I retorted.

"Whatever, quit whining. I'm gonna make you get rid of this one day," she said, looking at me.

"We're having kids now? Isn't this a little soon?" I asked. She nodded.

"Well, if you insist. Maybe someday," she began, stepping away a bit. "You're weird sometimes."

"I'm weird? You're a freak," I said, moving to the door. "I'll settle for a four door. That's the best you'll get from me."

"Works for me," she said, smirking.

The list of champions was almost empty and I was apparently engaged now. I began to drive towards another line of people leaving the garage…


	31. Time

**Well, here's another chapter. This one was very short compared to the last one but, if I'm going to spend 2 weeks to a month writing a chapter, I'd rather my time go into the 32nd. :**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Hellooooooo Tampa!"

"You were asleep ten minutes ago," I said, stretching my arms. Riven came out of the car, yawning as well. "I still hate waking up so early. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," she said. Her shoulder had mostly healed but a small scar remained. She moved to the trunk and I pulled the one bag from the back seat.

We had managed to fit two huge bags with the costumes that fit into the trunk. Aside from that, we each carried a backpack and an extra bag with some clothes and food, which Angie volunteered to carry. We moved as a group past many others just like us outside of the hotel entrance. There was an area for larger cars and vans to unload before you could park but we… I could carry most of the heavy stuff.

"Hurry up Riley, we got stuff to do," Angie said, eagerly. I sighed.

"When does my small vacation start?" I asked, sarcastically. She grinned and led the way. Riven grabbed one of the large suitcases and we began to walk behind her. "Thanks."

"Of course," Riven nodded.

The hotel that was connected to the convention center was very nice… Nicer than any place I had probably stayed in. It had many people are in cosplay and elevators full of people with full trolleys of stuff constantly dinged. For a few times, the doors opened and the people waiting sighed because of there being no room… It was kinda funny but it was eventually gonna happen to us as well. Angie turned around at the desk and handed us each a small, white keycard.

"Aaaaaand my parents pull through," she said, happily. "Let's get going. Wanna take the stairs?"

"... You're the devil."

* * *

I played around with my phone for a second before pocketing it and swinging the headphones around my neck. I stared at the mirror, pushing away the blue hair. Angie had a gift for this stuff… I looked incredible, as did the girls. I fiddled around with the stringy tie and looked around the room. It was a one bed room with a living room area with a couch. I didn't mind sleeping on the couch and they would sleep on the bed; I didn't want to make Angie's parents have to spend too much for stuff we didn't need. Angie knelt down and put our food in the cabinets while Riven put some drinks into a mini fridge. Angie hopped up and looked at her phone.

"Okay, we gotta go pick up our tickets and go to the weapon check in… I suppose we do that first," she began. "Then we meet up with the others to go over what's happening later."

"Alright, let's go," I said. Riven moved towards me while Angie skipped ahead.

Once we got out, I stared down. There was huge fountain in the lobby and above us were twenty six more floors. I felt nauseous from even thinking of being up there and was glad we were only on the third floor. We made our way around to the stairs and began climbing down; the bridge connecting the hotel to the convention center was on the second floor so we wouldn't have to deal with the elevators much except for when we were leaving.

Then, it hit me.

"...It's freaking so hot."

"Well, duh. You're wearing black," Angie said, sarcastically. She pointed forward. "It's only like, 30 seconds to get there, quit complaining."

"You're the one in light colors," I said, as she pushed me against the concrete.

"Just enjoy yourself," she began, grinning. "Or did you forget how to do that?"

"Who knows?" I asked, yawning. "This area is nice… Except everything is so far apart."

"You never see a long, empty road when going north or south," Angie added. Riven looked at us. "Parts of Florida get so drastically different than the rest."

"Why is that?" Riven asked, as I opened the door to the convention center… Woah. "Woah… so many people."

"This is so cool," I began. There were dozens of booths and people flocking around them. People were selling artworks or other things they made. "People are so talented."

"Right? Wish I could do stuff like that," Angie said. I turned to her and looked at my clothes. "Shut up. I can't draw to save my life, sewing came naturally."

"That's an art in itself," I said, as she crossed her arms. "Hey, you look cute like that."

"D-Don't call me that!" Angie said, looking away. I smiled as Riven laughed. A few people looked towards us. "See what you do?"

"Totally my fault," I said, tilting my head towards the center. "Let's get going, there's a panel I wanna see in an hour."

We moved through the crowds of people, up some stairs, then down a set of escalators into what looked like a sea of people. People were lined up by doors and many were sitting around talking or playing on handheld game systems. We settled into a smaller line as Angie looked at her phone.

"The others texted me that they're here. They said they'd wait for us before they get in line to get their badges," Angie said, as I nodded.

"When is our event happening?" Riven asked.

"Tonight. These go on forever and I think ours is at 11," she said, as Riven nodded.

"Next!" said the costumed girl behind the small table. She had an orange badge with multiple stickers and a second badge saying 'Event Staff'. "Thank you for coming to our event. Just write your name and we'll check your stuff."

"We're glad to be here," I said, leaning down to write my name. I handed a guy the silver painted gun, taking out the empty magazine.

"Alright. Looks good," the guy said, immediately noticing the barrel was stuffed with caulk. I doubt I would ever use them again so it wasn't a big deal. He put a sticker on the bottom of the magazine and handed it back to me. "Just follow this wall and make a right once you see the line, that'll take you where they sell badges."

"Thanks," I said, holstering the plastic gun. Riven was looking around as many people moved past us. "It's crazy how good some people's cosplays came out. Especially ones that look so complicated."

"Everyone looks incredible," Riven said, smiling. Her smiled faded quickly. "Please enjoy yourself."

"You alright?" I asked, as she nodded slowly. She moved closer to me.

"I think this might be the last thing we can do together," she said, quietly. "Everyone has gone back besides me."

"Yeah… that's something," I added, quietly. "Remember when our biggest worry was buying you panties?"

"I don't remember being as happy as I was here before," Riven said, grabbing my arm. "Sorry for bringing that up… it just…"

"It's fine, Riven. Let's just make this the best few days out of our almost year together," I said, as she nodded. I leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"Hey! Lovebirds, hurry up!" Angie shouted, grinning a few feet away from us. Riven nodded and pulled me towards the sea of people.

"It's not about the end… It's about the journey. Remember?"

* * *

"Man, that brought back memories," I said, holding a small business card.

"I didn't know you were into young, magical girls," Angie said, crossing her arms. I sighed.

"She was my anime crush when I was seven. What's wrong with that?" I asked, as I looked at the cosplayer's card… if this was how she looked at twentyish then maybe she could be my crush still. "It was the only time during the whole convention this was gonna happen."

"I'm kidding. Magical girls are awesome and sometimes depressing," Angie said, shrugging. "I'm still emotionally destroyed from watching Madoka."

"Aren't we all?" a male voice said. Angie smirked as we looked towards the direction. It was another small group of people we had seen a bit ago; the one who spoke was dressed as the protagonist from Persona 4 and the one responsible for our panel. "Did you make it?"

"Yeah, sorry. Childhood anime I loved," I said, pointing behind me.

"Yeah, I understand," he said, extending his hand. "Thanks for the help. Angie said you knew a bunch of useless things."

"Yeah, she's a sweet one, isn't she?" I sighed, as he nodded. I shook his hand. "So, how do you know her?"

"I didn't. She just reached out to us after we posted for anyone else cosplaying Persona characters," he began. "We changed it to a Persona Q-esque panel after grouping up with you guys, which just made it more fun."

"That's crazy. This is our first convention so it's a bit overwhelming still," I began, as he smiled.

"Sounds like you have your character down to the T," He said, laughing. "Seems like your friends are quite the hit."

The two girls from our panel began talking with Angie and Riven, although Angie seemed to do most of the talking. The boy next to me smiled.

"I'm sure you'll have fun. We'll see you later then, Yuki," he said, waving slightly. I nodded and waved back as he moved towards his small group.

"Later, Yu," I responded.

For almost another hour, Angie insisted we people watch. We found an empty area by the next panel we wanted to go to and settled there before someone inevitably took it. I handed Riven our DS, put one headphone over my ear and began blasting music. I had made a Persona inspired playlist from across the games in case someone randomly grabbed my headphones and because the songs were great. Angie grabbed my arm whenever a cute guy passed by in a cosplay that involved being shirtless.

"Now that all the champions are gone, things are gonna be feel lonely, don't you think?" Angie asked. "No more Irelia and I coming over to make you breakfast."

"You can still make me food but yeah," I began, smirking. "I'm glad they helped rebuild before they left, that was nice of them."

"Back to our boring lives then?" Angie asked, smiling. She grabbed my arm. "You'd go gay for that, right?"

I shook my head and rested against the padded wall. Riven continued playing Persona Q as my mind wandered.

Only he was left. Irelia's warning came back to my head; after returning the Ionians, Lux, and the Piltover cops, I felt completely drained for a few days to the point Riven went to work alone. I was better now but I doubt this last battle would be any easier than any of the others… And I had to be ready to die for her.

Ready to die for both worlds.

I laid down on the ground and put my head on Riven's lap. She stared down at me and ran a hand through my fake, blue hair. She smiled and I closed my eyes.

"Hopefully it doesn't end like this."

"Did you keep your promises then?"

"I hope so."


	32. Time To Make History

**:)**

**Thanks for everyone who stuck along this year. It was great to see my idea come to life and expand in ways I didn't see at first. Hope you all enjoyed it!**

* * *

Almost ten hours passed and, even thought I was skeptical when Angie said we should even come, I had so much fun. All the panels were fun, interesting, and interactive.

Once there was a period of time we didn't want to go to any panels, we went back to the hotel with our Persona 4 friends and had lunch. I had to keep myself from puking since their room was on the 17th floor. We all talked about random video games and animes. We went over how it was going to go and how we would interact with each other during the panel.

We left with almost two hours to spare. Angie headed back to the room for a bit, leaving me and Riven alone while we headed back to the convention center. I had one headphone over my left ear while Riven walked on my right side, holding my arm.

_'Time (Time)... Old dry winds go by. Lone air comes quietly."_

"What did Angie go do?" Riven asked.

"Think she said she wanted to take a nap. She woke up earlier than we did," I said. "It's weird to think we've been up for like, 15 hours, it went by so fast."

"Especially since it felt so slow while we were driving," she said, as we neared the bridge. It was still hot but there was no sun so it was as nice as it could be.

We leaned on the cement edge for a little bit. The road under us ended in a cul-de-sac. It was empty now but during the middle of the day, it had been packed with people and food trucks. Now there were a few lamps lit up and a few people sat around, probably staring at the costumed people running around.

"Is that too hot?" Riven asked, touching my head. I shook my head, returning to our world.

"It's cooler here since there's barely any people," I said, as we slowly began to walk again. When I reached the door, I felt it slam my stretched out hand as a girl opened the door quickly. She yelped in response to seeing us and immediately grabbed my hand. "Woah, hello."

"I am so, so sorry, I didn't see anyone coming," she said, looking up at me. She was dressed as someone from Kingdom Hearts… I think. It's been so long I just stopped hoping for a third game. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it was just my hand, don't worry," I said, waving her off. She looked at us and smiled.

"I love your cosplays! Are you guys going to that Persona panel later?" she asked, cheerily. For a person who bashed my hand with a door, she quickly became cheerful... reminded me of Angie.

"Yeah, we're actually part of the group hosting it," I said. Riven nodded and she looked at us with wide eyes. "You going?"

"Yes! I was so excited to see a Persona panel here, such an underrated game," she said, looking around. "My name is Kate, guess it was fate to almost break your hand."

"I guess so… But if this is how you want to greet me, I don't think we should hang out often," I said, jokingly.

"Riley, we should go, we're going to be late," Riven said, grabbing my arm. Kate waved her hands quickly.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I'll see you guys later then, bye!" she said, quickly moving towards the hotel. I turned to Riven.

"Late for what?" I asked, confusedly. "Did you have a panel you wanted to go to?"

"No. She seemed… she gave off a weird vibe. It would be best to avoid her," She said. She sounded a bit mysterious and it just added to my confusion.

"Alright, whatever you say," I said, putting one arm around her. "Let's go somewhere."

* * *

We ended up going to an event held by the convention staff and then to another random video game trivia panel for an hour. It was held by an older lady in her thirties cosplaying as Link from the Wind Waker in his pajamas.

While it was a bunch of diverse topics, Riven and I ended up winning a small figurine. Each answer right got you a token for a raffle of sorts and we ended up getting seven, which was huge considering there were about 100 people sitting in the room. It was about time my years of playing Guitar Hero came in handy. We walked through the convention center as I held the small box.

"How could I forget a Fire Emblem question, good thing you were there," I said, as she nodded.

"It's tricky to remember things sometimes… Especially when under pressure," she said. She had answered 3 questions: a Fire Emblem Awakening one, a Modern Warfare one, and a League one.

"Man, imagine if we'd won a figurine of you," I said. "That'd be kinda weird now."

"Yes. I don't know how I'd react," she said, with a small smile. "You ever expect to see a toy of yourself?"

_'Mid-day street walks, Lights fell and dispersed in the air, Nobody seemed to see them fade. Your eyes seemed so innocent,. Everything made sense to you but... They didn't to me.'_

We headed towards a room where people played card and board games and watched some people play Magic the Gathering. I began thinking of how Josh was; last thing he mentioned was travelling far for a tournament. Both the players we watched played like Riven and it annoyed me slightly to know I'd never beat them or her. My phone began to vibrate.

"Hey, you busy?" Yu's voice asked, I responded with a quick no. "Wanna come help us set up a bit earlier? The panel before us is just a Q&amp;A trivia thing and they don't mind us setting up our stuff while they speak."

"Ah, alright, we'll start heading over there now. Is Angie there already?" I asked, as I tilted my head towards our panel room. Riven followed behind me.

"Yeah, I called her and she yelled at me for waking her up," he said. I felt his pain. "I'll see you in a bit then, thanks Makoto!"

"That's nice of the other panel," Riven said.

"Yeah, it is. They probably know some people need a while to set up," I said. I raised my shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe Angie heckled the into letting us in early."

"That doesn't sound impossible either, does it?" Riven said, giggling. As we moved towards the room, Riven stopped. "Riley, that girl is here. She sticks out of this crowd so clearly to me."

"What do you mean? Is she connected to your world somehow then?" I asked. She looked confused.

"She doesn't stick out in that way to me," Riven said, slowly walking again. "Keep an eye on her. You're defenseless this time so please don't do anything reckless."

"I know, I'll let you handle it if anything happens," I said, putting an arm around her. "If anything, I can handle myself in a fight with a tiny blond girl."

"... I hope so."

"Okay, you didn't need to answer that."

* * *

"Hurry up, why are you so slow?" Angie said, crossing her arms. I sighed as I fumbled with our laptop, some cables, and my phone's flashlight. I finally got it after a minute of glares.

"I thought I was the leader of our group," I asked, yawning.

"Yeah but you're the vice leader," Angie said, smirking. "I feel so out of place. You could've mentioned there was a DS game."

"I forgot. It's been a while since I played it," I said, shifting onto the chair beside me. The panel before us was wrapping everything up as people began to stand around the back wall for us.

We had a long table on a longer stage with seating for about a hundred people. None of us expected to fill the seats since the game wasn't too known to alot of people but a good crowd seemed to be outside. I had hooked up Yu's laptop as he ran back to their room for something they forgot and I just listened to the people before us talk about Pokemon while my music played through one ear. Riven sat beside me.

"I don't think I ever even beat Persona Q… I'm close but never actually did," I said, looking around at all the people.

"Sounds like you," Angie joked, as she stood behind my seat. She leaned on my head, crossing her arms on top of it.

"Yeah. More stuff got my interest," I yawned. A person caught my interest in our crowd lining the back wall; the girl from earlier, Kate. Riven seemed to notice too.

"Hey, there they are," Angie said, pointing towards our group. She looked towards the computer. "Just in time too."

"Hey, sorry," Yu said, catching his breath. He held out a USB to me. "What good is the laptop without all the work you did?"

The hosts of the Pokemon panel said their goodbyes and wrapped everything up as a few more people began to come in for our panel.

The seats began to fill as everyone from our group divided into their respective corners. Angie and Riven moved towards the Persona 3 side with two others as the entirety of Persona 4's side was made of Yu's friends. Yu and myself got up and stood infront of the table and in the center of the elevated stage. After two or so minutes, the doors were shut by convention volunteers and Yu began speaking.

_'Like the shining stars light the path whenever it's dark, you keep on blinking at me. You never turn away from me, in this vast gloomy night sky.'_

"Hello everyone. Thank you for coming to our first ever panel," he said, with a smile. "Just a little background on us. Most of us here have come to this con almost every year since we came to our first back in freshman year. This year, we decided to do our first panel with the help of some first timers to a con… one of them being my co-host here."

"Thank everyone again. I didn't expect so many people to come," I began. There seemed to be over 50 people, it was incredible. "We're ready to get started, right?"

* * *

With Yu taking over most of the hosting, we began. One of his friends explained they would be handing out numbered tickets to people who answer questions right to win prizes at the end. We split the questions between our respective games and characters and people could choose who they wanted to ask. Everyone had their own favorite characters so everyone got a few questions asked. A few people even asked for pictures with us; it was a blast. I looked towards the computer, we had about 15 minutes left. I was sitting as I noticed something odd in the crowd and my arm be grabbed.

"Riley, let's go," Riven said, as I turned to her. Her sword had appeared; Angie looked at us a bit panicked.

"Crap… Now?" She asked. Riven nodded.

"What good timing, huh?" I asked, standing up. I walked over to Yu and placed my hand on his shoulder. "Elizabeth and I need to go early. Something… Came up."

"Huh?... Uhh, okay," he said, confusedly. Nonetheless, he smiled and patted my shoulder. "We'll meet up again later then."

"Of course. Sorry again," I said, grabbing her hand as we moved quickly through the space in between the crowd. My music seemed to fit our situation as it changed to the next track.

We moved through the convention center, which was pretty empty as most people who were there still were in panels. The few people who sat around turned towards us as we sprinted through. We headed up the stairs and towards the now slippery bridge.

"Of course it rains," I sighed, as Riven held her sword. She looked over the bridge.

"Is rain common at this time?" she asked me.

"This month is usually just one long rainstorm," I said, as she tilted her head.

"Remember what I said earlier," she warned. I nodded.

"Don't worry," I said, smiling. I grabbed her hand. "Let's get this over with."

"Yes… Let's."

_'I will- (Burn my Dread). I once ran away from the god of fear, And he chained me to despair- Yeah.'_

We ran to one end of the bridge and down the steps to the cul-de-sac area. Moving towards the center, the lights were still as bright as ever… Almost making everything like an arena, in a way.

We stood across two other bodies. Both were recognizable to me, I removed one of my headphones.

"I take it you're not going to go without a fight?" I asked. The girl shrugged her shoulder with a grin.

"That'd be anti-climatic, wouldn't it?" she said, crossing her arms. "Plus, we've been looking forward to this… Especially since you stuck out from this crowd like a sore thumb."

How could you side with that woman?" the man beside her said, holding onto the katana on his waist. He looked ready to attack. "She's a glorified murderer and nothing more."

"Then she's my murderer. All I care about is restoring our worlds back to how they should be and she's helped me since the beginning," I responded. "You're just the final obstacle for us."

"This isn't a game, child!" Yasuo growled towards me.

"Shut up. You're the one here for petty revenge, right?" I asked, as the blond girl swung her arm.

"She's done nothing but help their world suffer. How could you side with that?" she said, loudly.

"This doesn't concern you," Riven said. She extended her sword before her and closed her eyes. "We end this right now. I won't let you ruin these last few days."

"Very well," Yasuo said, slowly drawing his katana. "What weighs more, Riven, your blade or your past?"

"What a question," Riven said, opening her eyes. Her sword reforged and glowed as brightly as ever. I put one hand in my pocket and looked behind me. A few people looked from the bridge and doors who probably thought this was something planned, I smirked.

Yasuo dashed forward towards Riven at lightning speed who readied her ground. He thrusted his blade and Riven pushed her body towards him and retaliated with more strength; this battle should be easy, Riven had the advantage in game. As long as she kept him still, she should be fine. The hooded blond girl moved towards me with a devilish grin.

_'This time I'll grapple down that god of fear, And throw him into hell's fire."_

"You're smirking like this is some game," she said. I shrugged.

"I'm more used to it than ever now," I said, stepping back a step. "Are you trying to fight me?"

"Would you hit a girl?" she said, tilting her head. I removed my hand from my pocket and pushed the blue hair to one side.

"I'd fight anyone who tries to hurt my friends," I said, looking past her.

Riven grabbed the man and pushed him towards the ground. She stepped back and scuffed, placing her sword over her shoulder.

"Pathetic. You're a waste of time," Riven said, harshly. She shifted her arms, holding her sword with both hands, and began swining the glowing blade. A faint wind picked up as Riven's arm moved strangely. "R-Riley!..."

The girl, Kate, clamped onto one of Riven's arms, tilting her body to swing towards me. Her Wind Slash headed towards me as I raised my arms with no time to move. I closed my eyes and saw brightness as I heard Yasuo's movement and Riven's cry of pain.

I slowly opened my eyes and uncrossed my arms. A familiar, glowing blade rested lightly in my hand and I moved forward towards Riven and Yasuo. I swung my sword and forced the champion to defend himself before he could attack Riven again.

"Why do you defend this woman?" Yasuo asked as I picked Riven up. She grabbed onto my arm to stabilize herself. "You're meddling in business that doesn't concern you."

"I've spent almost a year with a burden free Riven and I would do anything for her like she has for me," I said, resting my sword on my shoulder. It left a warm sensation on me. "... And if she can't end this, I'll take her place."

"I… I can still fight," Riven quietly said, holding her sword with both arms. Her cosplay was torn badly and stained red across her back.

"Lead the way," I said, smiling. She nodded and moved forward quickly; I followed, moving faster than I ever had.

The rain picked up and I heard some people behind me begin to run towards the hotel or convention center. Yasuo remained still as we split up. I moved forward and heard Riven yelp before heard her fall.

"You won't hurt him!" the girl said, grabbing into Riven's legs. I noticed something in my peripheral and ducked my head back just in time to see a katana cover most of my vision.

"If you're so intent on protecting her," he began, retracting his blade. "Then let us begin."

I swung my arm around and heard our swords collide. I knew how to deal with Yasuo from a summoner's perspective but this was a different beast. He swung his sword with lightning speed and I could only defend myself with the broadness of the sword. I attempted to dash forward and overpower him but once he saw my plan, he dashed through my sight and dragged his sword across my side.

"Riley!" Riven's voice rang as I turned my body.

My body moved forward again and our swords clashed again. I let our a burst of energy from my blade and managed to get a slash at the samurai's arm. He moved back and I tried to catch my breath. His clothes swayed in the breeze coming from his weapon. I fell onto one knee, using the sword as a crutch.

"A summoner is nothing without a champion," he said, readying his blade. "Prepare to die, human!"

Removing the second headphone, I prepared myself as I heard him shout. I knew how this song would end. I pushed my body into a roll as I felt a sharp gust of wind pass me.

"Now!" I shouted, as Riven drove her sword through the samurai. The broken sword didn't pierce far but it pierced enough to render him stunned. I dragged the sword across the ground and prepared my swing. "We've gone through so much together… There's no way we'd ever give up so easily."

Behind the two, I saw Angie holding a struggling Kate down. Her face was stained with running makeup but her usual devilish grin. I focused my mind, anger, happiness… Every emotion I had onto the blue sword and swung it one last time, unleashing a wave of energy towards Yasuo. Riven moved to the side as the wave struck the man. The small crowd behind us clapped and cheered while Kate yelled. My sword returned to its broken form as Riven moved towards me.

"Riven-"

She wrapped her arms around me and began sobbing. I put my hand on her head and felt my throat tighten with every breath I took.

A million lives could've past right then and I would've not felt much better. Riven pulled her head away and smiled. I limped towards the samurai. He reached for his sword and I put my foot on his arm.

"Give it up. You lost," I said, extending my hand.

"I know when I have lost. You don't have the guts to kill me," he said, angrily. I raised my headphone back around my ear and shook my head.

_'Burning all regret and dread, And I will face the sun- with pride of the Living...'_

"I never wanted to. I'm just doing what's best for our worlds," I said, extending my arm out. I waved slightly as my hand glowed for the penultimate time. "We'll meet again on the Rift… And I'm sure I won't lose then either."

"Heh… whatever you say, kid," the samurai said, with a faint smirk.

My head felt like it was about to explode. I closed my eyes and took a breath.

* * *

"Hey, you alright?" Riven's voice said, seemingly soothing my pain. I raised one hand to my face as I stared up at Riven. She grabbed my hand with hers. Her face had a few cuts and a bit of dried blood.

"Yeah… I'm great. What happened?" I asked, as she looked forward.

"You fell asleep. It's pretty late," she said, quietly. "Kate seemed to calm down after Angie took her away. So…"

"Aren't I suppose to be the one dying?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood. "I never thought today would be the day."

"There was nothing we could do about it. We should be glad it lasted this long," she said. I felt her body breathe. "I can't remember ever feeling so free and happy."

"Heh… me neither, in a way," I said. Riven reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. She smiled before leaning down and kissing my forehead.

"Happy birthday," she whispered.

"Oh, right… almost slipped my mind," I said. Riven laughed at me. "Hey, reach into my other pocket, grab the thing that isn't my wallet. I wanted to give it to you back in December but it didn't feel right."

"I love it. Thank you," she said, holding the silver bracelet.

"Maybe we should let the worlds collide… We could just do this full time," I joked.

"I wouldn't be happy to see you so tired again. We should… Do this before it gets any harder," Riven said, almost whispering the last part. "Whenever you're ready."

I felt like a very specific scene in a video game. It was like when your character is sitting or standing still and you think you can't move yet but it's waiting for you to move but you don't because it didn't say to… Except I knew I was supposed to get up. After what felt like an eternity, I raised my heavy head.

We were sitting on what looked like a bus stop. There was a light drizzle still and no one for miles. It was almost two in the morning, no wonder. Riven stood up and hugged me again.

"Goodbye, Summoner."

I raised my arm for the last time, turning my head slightly away to hide my face. My tough guy mentality said it was just the rain but I knew the truth.

"Goodbye, Riven."

* * *

Eventually finding myself back at the hotel, the few people that were around the hotel lobby stared at me. I had guessed they were in shock that I was drenched, potentially ruining my cosplay. I dragged myself up the stairs to our floor and held both of my keycards. Angie opened the door before I did anything.

"Riley…" she whispered as I entered the room.

"Everything is back to how I wanted it now, right?" I asked, as she followed me towards the second room. I plopped onto my bed. Angie sat beside me.

"What a year we've had, huh?" Angie said, smiling. She leaned down on my drenched back. "We put our lives to make sure everyone stayed safe. No one but us will ever know… did you give it to her?"

"Yes. I'm exhausted… wake me up tomorrow?" I said, closing my eyes. She hugged me and kissed my cheek.

"Of course. You deserve a rest."

* * *

The next day, everything returned to normal. Everyone was confused about the fight and wondering if it even really happened. A few people even called me a phantom from seeing me last night… But now, in a new cosplay, no one recognized me.

Angie was wearing some blue and white school uniform with yellow ribbons on her hair. She did something I deemed magical as her hair looked shorter. She also had an orange arm band on her left arm.

She had made me a simple dark blue suit jacket and slacks, given me a white dress shirt with a red tie. She mentioned it was from some anime I hadn't seen; something melancholy.

We had met up with our group from last night for a while. We hung out for a while. I learned Yu's named was Brendan and we bonded over League after all. We exchanged summoner names for when the game was fixed… Which I knew might be sooner than later.

Once we split up with them, Angie had arranged for us to meet up with Kate. She explained her story and apologized for acting so crazy over coffee and Angie revealed she had a talk with her about everything once I passed out. I accepted her apology and also exchanged summoner names with her, even though she said she wasn't very good.

After all that, Angie and I sat against a wall at about 7 pm. We watched people and she sat against me. She continually commented on the shirtless guys and I sighed as always. I slowly grabbed her hand and she rested her head on my shoulder.

I still felt Riven's presence. She was like a phantom pain still but I knew I would recover. She wanted me to be happy and I was not going to let her down. I closed my eyes for a few seconds.

"I hope everything is alright over there." Angie whispered.

"Have you met Riven? Of course everything is alright over there."

"I suppose you're right."

Everything returned to normal... like I thought I wanted almost a year ago. I began to wonder what was in stock for me in the next few years. The only certainty was I would keep my promise to her; I would enjoy my life like I did when we were together.


	33. The Hunt Continues

**Haha you guys thought it was over but it was and I missed it so I wanted to do something better with the ending. :**

**I've come full circle so I can finally say who's ready to see C9 win worlds this time!?**

* * *

"Riley, wait up!"

"Huh?... Oh, hey," I waved as Angie slowed to a stop beside me. She grinned widely and grabbed my shoulder.

"How's it like?" she asked, with her signature grin.

"What are you talking about now?" I asked, yawning. People around us moved like traffic. It was signature Floridian heat and everyone seemed eager to get inside the cool buildings.

"Being a freshman again!" she said, raising one hand to her cheek.

"Meh," I said, beginning to walk. She walked alongside me. "I still hate homework."

"Wanna do something tonight? We can babysit the kiddies," she said. I assumed she was asked to and wanted someone her age. I nodded.

"Sure, sounds fun," I said, yawning. "I'm not looking forward to work tomorrow."

Angie had switched to taking night classes to be with me more, despite only having a semester left. We had spent almost everyday together, just like the past year. We remained just friends but with slight complications. She grabbed my hand and leaned on my shoulder.

"It's still weird, huh?" Angie began. "Not putting your life in danger to save the world and stuff?"

"Yeah… I miss almost dying," I said, sarcastically. "I wonder how she's doing…"

"Probably kicking ass and missing you," Angie said, as we walked through the crowd. No one looked twice at us; I had become just a normal, college student who worked too much.

I returned to another Wendys after making amends with Carla. I received another promotion but requested less days, making the added overtime worthless but it let me focus on school and myself for now. Angie tugged on my arm, looking back at me with a warm, gentle smile.

"I bet she's proud of you. I know I am," she said. I nodded with a faint smile.

"Thanks…"

* * *

"Driving with you is so much better than with Dad," Nicole said, handing me my keys.

"Yeah but don't learn nothing from me, alright? He gets pissed when I don't notice I'm hella speeding," I said, cringing at my choice of words. Why did I say that? I grabbed the small, blue stone that hung around my neck.

"Riven gave you that, right?" Nicole asked. I nodded slowly.

"In a way, yeah," I answered. Once she left, the blue sword vanished as well, leaving behind a tiny, bright blue stone that I always kept with me. "Tell your little boyfriend that I don't have magic… Or a sword… But I'll still kick his ass."

"Shut up, Dad literally says that everytime I go out anywhere," Nicole said. She turned and, after a few seconds, waved towards a small group. "Hey guys!"

"It's about time, you're late like always," Angie said. She went to smack me and I grabbed her hand mid swing.

"I wasn't driving. Ms. Ten-under-the-speed-limit here was," I said, lowering her hand. I turned to Jamie and the two boys… I had completely forgotten their names… But that was not going to stop me. "Hey guys, what's up?"

After introductions and me using the wrong name while laughing it off, the group of four headed off towards the movie theater, leaving me alone with…

"Feed me," Angie said, glaring at me.

"You're a headache," I said, as we moved in the crowd.

The day went along as usual. We went to eat at her favorite Chinese place while talking about school. I agreed to help her with English exam while she held a thumbs up with a mouthful of orange chicken. She threw a soy sauce packet at my chest and I threw a piece of rice into her soda; we both laughed as people stared in confusion.

The piers were our next stop. We sat on the edge of the water jokingly making scenarios of how we could steal a yacht, usually going off the deep end quickly. Angie stared at me after a while, as if she had something to ask.

"Were you like this before we met?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, leaning back. The air smelled like salt, it was peaceful. The heat was even tolerable with the breeze the water's edge brought. I heard some sounds… Like faraway music or humming.

"As a person. How were you?" she asked, looking around.

"I existed. I worked, slept, ate, and played video games. Nothing interesting happened and I was fine, why would I change anything?" I said, laying down on the concrete. "Suppose you guys changed me for the better, huh?"

"Well, duh," she began, sarcastically. She laid next to me. "Man, why do they get to go to school and the movies so freely, I wish I could be a kid again."

"You still act like one," I jokingly said before nodding. "Shouldn't we start heading towards the theater then?"

"Nah, screw them. They have phones, right?" Angie said, looking around. "Who's singing?"

"You heard that too?" I asked, sitting up. "I don't see anyone… god, remember when this place was almost destroyed?"

"Yeah, and the mysterious bird duo saved the day?" Angie asked. "I remember. You used to be pretty great back then."

"What? That was just a few months ago, I'm still pretty cool," I said, standing up. I felt something… weird. "Let's get going…"

"You're feeling something weird too, huh? Like you're being watched?" she said, standing close to me.

"Just stay close," I said, as we moved towards the center of the city. Once I looked again, I saw something… Strange. It looked like a person in all white with some kind of animal circling them.

As we entered the supposedly crowded streets, they were almost empty. No cars drove by and no one seemed to even stare through the shop windows. It was as if time had stopped…

"Angie, we have to run," I said, grabbing her hand.

"W-Why?" she asked, with a hint of terror in her voice. The humming became louder.

"There's… a champion… Nearby," I said, in between breaths. I slowed down as we reached an open area where jets of water would shoot from the ground. We stood back to back. "If anything moves, run. I'll deal with it."

"How?! Riven isn't here…" she said, sadly.

"I promised her I'd protect you," I said, looking around. I handed her my car keys. "Get Nicole to safety."

"Stop being stupid. I'm not leaving you," she said. A voice spoke up… a very kind sounding one.

"Wolf, they stopped running, have they accepted us?" the voice soothingly said. A harsh sounding one followed. "Shame, I was enjoying myself."

"What are you?" I asked, as the figure stepped into my vision. It was something I hadn't seen before. It looked like a bipedal goat person with a wolf's head around her.

"When you see us," the kind voice began. The wolf shone his teeth before speaking. "It is too late!"

"Leave… Now," I whispered. Angie grabbed onto my shirt. "What are you doing here?"

"This is not our world… Though your scent was familiar," she began. He finished. "We will do what we do best!"

"And what's that?" I asked. She pulled back an arrow from her bow.

"Hunt."

An arrow flew straight towards my chest. I raised both arms to protect Angie. A faint blue light shone as the arrow bounced off the shield I created… I breathed heavily. I had my shield apparently but no weapon to fight back… What could I do?

"I might be able to return you to your world," I said, as the Lamb readied her bow again.

"You know we would come," the Wolf,snarled. "Yet none are ever prepared."

"I don't think we can get away from this," Angie said. She sounded scared and I couldn't blame her.

We ran back towards the water. I didn't want the chance of a stray arrow hitting someone. Angie followed but I kept her opposite from the creatures. We stood a few yards away as the sky darkened. I knew it was just because of what time it was but it still made everything way creepier. Angie grabbed my arm tightly.

"We'll make it through this… Just like we always used to," I said. I ripped off a pretty sturdy branch from a tree. "Sorry tree bro."

I extended the branch forward towards the creatures.

"Who are you, anyway?" I asked, as they stepped forward. We stepped back.

"We are Kindred. We are what everyone knows is coming," the Wolf said. The Lamb finished their sentence like they had been doing for a while. "Yet they always run."

"I'm not running and I doubt I'll be going anywhere," I said. Angie had finally moved away to safety but I remained cautious. I had no idea about this creature… maybe it was an upcoming champion? Nonetheless I had no idea what to expect.

I circled around, keeping a distance so avoiding the arrows would be easier. Whenever one seemingly hit, I raised my arms to form my shield. It just made me feel exhausted. I hid behind a tree to catch my breath. I heard something before seeing the Wolf to my right. I swung the branch and ran when I felt it collide. It chased me quickly before retreating back towards the Lamb girl. I ducked behind a car and sprinted towards the Lamb.

She extended her arm followed by an arrow. I dashed forward towards her and swung the branch. It hit her but she did a flip away from me before shooting a few more arrows. A dark circle around me seemed to darken; I began to run.

"Not so fast!" the Wolf's angry voice said, as it flew towards me. I moved my free arm to smack it. It dug its teeth into my arm before retreating back.

"Fuck," I said through my teeth. I ducked behind another car.

"Why do they always run, dear Lamb?" the Wolf began. "Chase to your heart's content, dear Wolf."

'I have to do something… I have a promise to keep,' I thought, looking around. I held the blue stone around my neck. I began to hear humming; the wind picked up slightly. I hoped Angie was okay… Hopefully she had reunited with the kids and left. I chuckled to myself, probably out of delirium. 'Heh, guess I was pretty useless without her here.'

I peeked around where I was. They had no blind spot; where one looked, the other covered the other's behind. It seemed my best shot was to try and overpower Lamb. I charged forward.

They turned and she created an area around her. As she shot, the Wolf tried to bite me. I avoided the best I could, focusing on dodging the Wolf with my speed and shielding the arrows when I had to. I slammed into the girl, knocking her back. When she attempted to leap back, I swung the branch in quick succession. The Wolf bit my side but I bit my lip and continued. I readied a powerful swing as I noticed the Wolf heading towards me. Lamb created another circle but this time, it was a circle of light. My swing seemed to phase her and the Wolf's bite didn't hurt at all. Everything felt peaceful again…

"Is this what the end feels like?" the Wolf said. Lamb shook her head. "I do not know, for this is not our end."

The light circle came to an end and I felt better. I leaped back and grabbed my side, falling to one knee. I felt better but still felt the attacks from before. It seemed I didn't do enough to Lamb as she stood perfectly fine again.

"Why me?" I said, angrily. "I spent so long trying to fix everything."

"Everything must end, let me make it painless," Lamb began. She pulled back an arrow before the Wolf snarled again. "Or else, I will not!"

"I won't die yet," I said, standing up slowly. I leaned against a nearby car. "I have people to protect."

"A nobel cause yet a foolish one," Lamb said. She released her arm and I braced myself. I raised my arms and held up a weak shield; I closed my eyes and lowered my head.

"Yeah… But he's our fool!"

Angie's voice rang in my ears. I opened my eyes and saw a pair of legs in front of me. I grabbed her shoulder and raised my head angrily. Why was she putting herself in danger when I asked her not to? A bright light encased us for a second as I smiled and felt a hand grab mine.

"Our favorite stubborn fool," the woman said. Her sword glowed as brightly as ever as she turned her head back towards Kindred. I leaned against the car again.

"She used some protective ability. I had no idea what I was facing," I said. She nodded. "Force your way in. Keep attacking and focus on Lamb. The Wolf will attack but even my shield and speed could handle that."

"Alright, let me finish this," Riven said, as Angie knelt beside me.

"What are you doing here? What happened?" I asked, as she grabbed my arm.

"Riven appeared while I headed back towards the fountain. I-I have no idea… Are you okay?" She asked. I nodded and grabbed my side.

"A little banged up but I'll survive. Nothing worse than before," I said. I turned towards Riven, who swung her sword swiftly. Every time Lamb hopped back, Riven stunned her or closed the gap and whenever Wolf would bite, her shield protected her. "Can't believe she's back."

"I can. She's like your guardian angel," Angie said, smiling.

"Heh… I guess she is."

* * *

We went our separate ways. Angie dropped Nicole off for me while I went with her to a familiar place. I handed her a jacket from my backseat and held the door to the empty fast food place. She sat down and I got some food and two drinks before sitting myself.

"Thank you," she said, grabbing her cup. I stared at it strangely as I grabbed my own.

"Still don't know how you can drink that, it taste like cough syrup," I said, as she shrugged with a grin.

"Are you okay? You were alone for a good while," Riven asked, with concern. I nodded.

"Don't worry… I'm okay. I did the best I could with a wooden stick," I said, leaning back in the booth. "How is it over there?"

"It is the same as it was. I still fight for what I believe in. Most champions do not remember anything aside from the last few ones we fought," she began. "Something just… Felt off. The bracelet you gave me began to glow and I found myself back here."

"It was good timing. I didn't think I bought a magic bracelet or anything," I joked. "So, what was that Kindred thing?"

"A spirit of death. The last thing you're supposed to see before you die. It holds way more power in Valoran… It was strange they would be slain so easily," Riven said, crossing her arms.

"They've gone back now too. Is it really the end now?" I asked, with a sigh. I looked away slightly. "Don't think I didn't miss you. There's not a day I don't."

"How has it been here? Please, tell me, I've been worried.." Riven asked me, resting her head on one hand.

"I've been alright. Things had been quiet until today," I began, crossing my arms on the table. "They say League would return to its updated version by Worlds."

"That is good news. I'm glad everything is better for you," Riven said, with a small smile. She toyed with her straw.

"It'd be better if you stayed forever," I said, quietly. I laughed to break the quick tension. "It's weird not to see you everyday… things are so much quieter now. I guess I didn't really want this peaceful of a life."

"Me appearing here today brought up some thoughts," Riven sighed. She bent her straw. "My being here keeps our worlds from being separate again… why would I even be able to return? Did we miss something?"

"No… I never heard of Kindred and we fought all the champions that I knew of," I said, looking at my phone. It had been such a blur, it was almost 6 in the morning. I held my head. "Work is gonna suck today."

"I'm sorry," Riven said, looking around. "I should remain here for a while… we have to figure things out."

"Times like these where I miss Irelia…"

* * *

Eleven hours later, I held my head in the small office as another manager counted the safe before signing both of our names. I yawned, for the millionth time today, and looked around.

"Anything you need before I go?" I asked him. He shook his head. "Oh, the printer for the speed of service thing needs paper, I have no clue where that is."

"Man, it's not like you're a manager or anything," he joked, as he stood up. "I'll show you before you leave."

"Thanks," I said, as I followed him. This store was new to me, and with a new promotion with more responsibilities, I felt embarrassed when I didn't know little things like that. The employees and other managers were very nice to me though, I was enjoying this much more than the past year. He pointed to an obvious spot and I sighed. "Figures."

"Yeah, you don't really notice till you need it. By the way, you still wanna help me move?" he asked as I clocked out.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Of course," I said. I looked around at the dining room where I saw two familiar faces. "Just let me know when."

"Who're they?" he asked me, as I moved towards the gap where I could leave.

"Uhh… my two exes, actually. I guess I owe you a story later," I said, as he laughed. He waved as I moved towards the girls. "Hey, sorry about that."

"No problem, we're used to waiting for you for dumb reasons," Angie grinned, as she handed me my keys. After realizing I wasn't going to sleep, I asked Riven to drive herself to Angie's for the day.

"Whatever, brat. Let's go eat so I can sleep," I said, beginning to walk. As we headed for the door, I heard a voice call me.

"Mister Riley, I need you for a second," an older man said. The general manager, who was a more sarcastic and intimidating version of Carla, walked towards me. When he noticed the two girls, he introduced himself. "Mind if I borrow him?"

"No. Please, keep him," Angie said, making the mark chuckle. I looked at him.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I just wanted to tell you in person while you were here… I need you in at 6 am Monday instead of closing. Devon has to go to Miami and Justin requested the day off a while ago so I need your help with the inventory. Figured it'd be a good time to learn that," He said, as I nodded.

"No problem, been wanting to get better at that," I began. He patted my shoulder and grinned.

"I like the attitude! After that, we have quite an order to finish by 3 o'clock. 90 cheeseburgers, 90 chicken sandwiches, and 180 fries," he said. I noticed the look of horror on Angie's face.

"Sounds easy enough," I said, yawning. "Sorry, Bob. Stayed up late, I need some sleep."

"Well, I won't bully you anymore, have a nice day off," he said, as I opened the door for the girls.

"What the hell? Who wants that much food?" Angie asked, as we walked.

"A local church asks us to do stuff like that sometimes. It's not too bad, it's a nice way to give back to the community," I said, opening the car. Angie moved into the backseat… I sat besides Riven as I turned the car on.

"Yeah, now I remember you mentioning something like that," she said. "That's pretty nice of him to do."

"You don't quit jobs, you quit bosses," I said, smirking. "I like this boss."

"Riven!" Angie shouted, despite being three feet from the target. "What are you craving? Mr. Rich here is buying!"

"Shut up, white girl who buys iced coffee every morning," I sarcastically said. Riven thought for a second.

"Hmm…"

She raised a finger to her chin as she though. She could be remembering a name, or what kind of food the place was… or maybe she was thinking of something more important like the inevitable collision of our universes if things don't get fixed. Either way, I was pretty content at the moment and I wouldn't have minded if that moment had lasted forever.

"Well… can we go to…"


	34. Complacent

**So ignore the part of the story where I said Cloud 9 would win worlds. .**

**Right after I bought a shirt too.**

* * *

We ended up going to where Riven was thinking of. Seemed like we ended up at the same Chinese restaurant often… It didn't matter though, Angie grinned as I drove back to the downtown area. I sent a text to Nicole, telling her if she wanted to come, we'd be here as we sat down. Angie stared at me and I sighed with a nod.

"That's why you're the best ex-boyfriend ever," she said, ordering her usual stuff. I smirked as Riven looked at her strangely. "A guy like Riley can't resist feminine charm."

"Don't you have to be cute or sexy for that to work?" I asked, as she glared up at me. Riven held her lips shut but a stifled laugh came out.

"You're supposed to be on my side!" Angie said, playfully hitting the champion, who began laughing audibly. Once the pair calmed down, Angie kept a smile on her face. "It's nice to see you again, Riven."

"It feels nice to laugh like this again," Riven said, looking around. The place was fairly empty but it was just a Thursday.

"We have to figure out what's going here,"I said, as Angie stared at me. "Not to ruin the mood but our worlds still need to go back to normal eventually."

"Can't we just enjoy today?" Angie asked, crossing her arms. Riven shook her head.

"Riley is right. Boredom is a small price to pay for a stable world, right?" Riven asked, as Angie grinned.

"I'm not sure. Bet Riley wouldn't mind living in ruins if you were with him," Angie teased. I looked away slightly… she wasn't 100% wrong. "Kidding, kidding. Let's save the world... again."

"I'm getting too old for this saving the world stuff," I said, pushing my hair back. Angie threw a pair of chopsticks at me as the waiter lowered a few plates on the table.

"Sorry!"

* * *

After a while of talking, we couldn't come up with anything aside from staying on guard and drive around for Riven to maybe sense something. We drove home, dropping Angie off on the way, to a very surprised mother of mine. I explained to her a bit of what happened back during the convention but left out most of the fight details to not worry her.

"We don't really know what happened but I guess we're not done yet," I said, as she nodded. My mom stared at us before sighing. "Sorry, maybe playing too many video games cause this."

"Just… Be careful, alright?" She asked, quietly. "I don't need you getting hurt anymore."

"We'll be careful, don't worry," I said. Her face didn't seem to relax much. "I have to work tomorrow, need anything?"

"No, I'll let you know if I do," she said, turning to Riven. "It's nice seeing you again, it's kinda lonely without you around sometimes."

"Thank you, ma'am," Riven said, happily bowing a bit.

We headed back into my room. Nothing had changed aside from a small tank full of sand and shells. Riven leaned over and looked into the glass. I raised the top and began spraying water on the walls.

"Angie and I got hermit crabs. They remind me of her, they make so much noise at night," I said, as her eyes widened. A seemingly empty shell became alive when water hit it and it began to move around.

"You seem to like animals in these kind of tanks," Riven said. I shrugged and nodded before putting the lid back on the tank.

"Yeah, I like little pets like these," I said, laying on my bed. "Gah, I hate work."

"Why did you go back?" Riven asked.

"Easier schedule. Carla recommended me and we had enough managers to accommodate my classes. It's still boring as ever though," I said, sighing. "Especially with you here, I don't wanna-"

"You have to though," she said, sitting on the edge. She grabbed my DS and opened a drawer on my desk. "Don't let me keep you from how well you're doing."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Still never liked work anyway, I just wanna be lazy," I said, staring at the fish tank. The largest fish made a loud splash towards the top. "Hey look, he probably misses you since you remembered to feed him."

"You're terrible. Feed your fish," Riven said, glaring at me. She stood up and moved towards the tank.

"I do… most of the time," I said, inching up to my pillow.

"Is there anyway I could work with you again?" Riven asked, looking back at me. I shrugged.

"We could ask. You can come with me tomorrow, worse case scenario I'll ask Angie to come get you so you don't have to spend ten hours there," I said. She sat against the wall, where she had slept for almost a year.

"You know I don't mind waiting," Riven said, as I nodded.

"It's not like that lazy bum is doing anything though," I said, with a smirk. I yawned again. "Sorry, I'm so sleepy."

"Yes, you should sleep," she said, giggling.

"Sorry if I hit you or something, I've probably gotten used to having the bed to myself again," I said, as she laid beside me. 'Although this is nicer…'

"I could always sleep on the couch," she suggested.

"Yeah, right," I responded. She smiled.

"Goodnight, Riley."

* * *

It really was a good thing my brain refuses to let me be late for anything; I woke up at 11 am without setting my alarm, giving me an hour to get ready. I did my usual routine and spent an extra few minutes looking for Riven's old uniform. We were on our way before eleven thirty, hopefully beating a lunch rush.

"Did you get enough sleep?" Riven asked me as I yawned. I buttoned up my shirt as she walked around to my side.

"More than I usually get lately," I said, looking around. The parking lot was pretty crowded, which wasn't a great sign for me. I sighed. "Another day of work, I can't wait to retire."

"What's that?" Riven asked. I grinned.

"When you get to supposedly stop working," I said.

We entered the building. To my relief, it wasn't as bad as it seemed. It would probably get bad soon. Riven sat down as I headed towards the back office, waving at my coworkers. I stood at the door to the office as the general manager came from the break area; I waved weakly.

"Good morning, Mr. Riley," he said, turning towards me in the chair.

"Hey Bob… request," I said, leaning against the door. He nodded.

"Maybe I can help," he said, jokingly. As he always did, it still intimidated me. I had alot to prove to him that I was worth the promotion and time accommodation but maybe that was just in my head.

"I have a friend that is living with me again and she used to work with me before. She's a monster," I began, tapping my fingers against the wooden door. "Could you hire her? This happened pretty quickly, sorry."

"Well, that does sound pretty quickly. We are hiring, and I'll take your word for it," he began. I cut him off.

"The only problem is she has no social or anything. I can't explain everything, I'd take way too long," I began. "She just wants to help me out so I wouldn't even care if we split my pay in half so she feels like she is."

"You know I won't do that. If you work, you get paid, that's one of our promises," he said. He grabbed his phone. "Let me talk to my boss about it, is she here?"

"She's here and has a uniform," I said. "She doesn't mind waiting for me but if she could work around my hours, that's be cool."

"Tell her to give me a few minutes, I'll go talk to her."

* * *

I spent the next hour almost exclusively staring towards Riven, who say across from my boss, occasionally nodding and constantly speaking. I didn't know how much she remembered but I felt a cold feeling on my hands. Why was I so nervous?

"Riley, stop!"

"Wha? Oh, crap," I said, pulling my hand back. The cup had overflowed with lemonade and a girl laughed as I wiped the cup off. "Shut up."

"Who's that?" the girl asked me, grabbing the cup. I walked back to our corner and handed her a bag.

"A friend of mine looking for a job," I said. The employee crossed her arms on the steel counter.

"Your girlfriend?" she asked. I shook my head.

"I don't have time for one of those," I joked, as I looked around. "Go pretend to do something, at least."

"Crap, is that Jean?" the girl asked me, tilting her head towards the window. I did the same and saw a woman with a backpack walking around the garbage area.

"Why today?" I said, quietly. I touched my face as I looked around. Justin, the other manager, seemed to not be in any stress. "Did you know?"

"Yeah… I thought you did," he began. "We talked about it last meeting, remember?"

"Obviously not… at least you did," I said, sighing. Jean was our district manager who tore us to shreds when something wrong happened. All I had to do was smile and fix whatever was wrong but she was still intimidating as hell. "Hey, at least it's your shift, right?"

"Haha, very funny," he said, sarcastically. We both watched her walk in, head over to where Riven was and sit down. I bit my lip slightly. "You alright?"

"Yeah, just stuff came up," I said, nodding. "Don't worry about me, if I'm still alive, it's basically been a good day."

"You complain alot for that to be true," he said, smirking as he stepped backwards.

"Man, shut up," I grinned, turning back to my position. Another girl came up to me and tapped my shoulder.

"Hey, Bob asked me to get you," she said, turning to Justin. "And to tell you to cover him for a second."

"Well, it was nice working with you," he said, as I glared past him. Riven still say at the table; I sat beside her.

"Hello," I said, sitting across from the intimidating woman.

"Hello Riley, how are you doing here? Busier?" she asked, with a smile. I nodded.

"Yeah but nothing I can't handle," I said. She nodded.

"We have high expectations for you. It's very rare someone gets promoted on pure recommendation, especially from a GM we don't usually interact with," she began. "Bob informed me of your friends situation…"

"This all happened so suddenly, I'm sorry," I began. "It's… Pretty complicated."

"Well, I can work something out… temporarily."

* * *

"Holy molly, this has to stop, you work too much," Angie said, crossing her arms. She was waiting for us like she always was. I smiled and we headed outside.

"How'd you even get here?" I asked her.

"Dad needed something across the street, figured I'd save you the trip," she said, turning towards Riven. "And he roped you into working again? Tell him to man up and provide for you."

"God, the migraine is starting early today," I said, rubbing my forehead. "I should be used to you but this always happens."

"You two haven't changed a bit," Riven said, with her own smile. We all laughed a bit and began to drive towards my house. Angie put her head between the seats.

"I've been thinking… if Riven found a way back, maybe the rift between the worlds isn't gone," She said. The word rift seemed like a pun but I quickly dismissed that.

"Maybe, who knows now. We just gotta stay vigilant," I said. She nodded.

"The sky looks beautiful," Riven said.

"Yeah… It looks cool," Angie began. "The Sun's usually set by now."

"Everything's not making sense anymore," I said, quietly.

"Isn't that our way of life?" Angie asked me. I nodded. I put my foot on the brake and looked forward.

"Think things are going to get stranger now," I said, as Riven looked alert. I felt it too. Traffic was stopped and a few police cars could be heard. "What's going on?"

"I thought everyone was sent back," Riven said, looking around. "We should look around."

"Right… Angie," I began, as she nodded. She leaned forward.

"Got it, I'll meet up with you guys in a few," she said, as I opened the door. She slid into the driver's seat as I nodded. "Be careful, let her do the hard work… please?"

"We'll be alright, don't worry," I said. I began closing the door. "Thanks."

Riven and I ducked from view into a nearby store front. Her sword appeared as she leaned against the wall to hide it.

"It's... Familiar. Riley…" Riven began, grabbing the handle of her sword. "We've faced this enemy before."

"How? God, I don't get this magic crap," I said, a bit frustrated. I stared at my hands. "I sent them back already; I sent you back."

"Yet I've returned… we can't focus on that now. We have to protect these people," Riven said. I began to move but she stopped me, grabbing my hand tightly. "No… Wait."

"What is it?" I asked.

"There's… a few of them. We can't win alone," she said, letting me go.

"All this is making my head hurt," I said, rubbing my eye.

"Maybe if we had the group we had before…" Riven said.

"That's gonna be pretty hard to do. I can't just wish them all back," I said, crossing my arms. "We have to do this delicately. Once we get a chance, we go for it. Zero risks."

"That sounds very unlike you," Riven said, with a smile.

"Hey, I can't be dying, you'd kill me if that happened," I said, grabbing her hand. "Follow me."

We went into a nearby library and quickly moved towards the third floor. Riven took over and led is towards an area with a window. She hid behind a shelf while I looked around.

"I can't really see anything," I said, focusing in any group I saw. "Just people."

"You felt it too. They have to be here," Riven said, grabbing my arm. She began to tighten her grasp.

"Ow, what's wrong?" I asked.

"The sky."

* * *

The sky seemed to not be ours. While the usual setting orange Sun was there, there was another Sun along a bluish part of the sky. It seemed like two different skies were merging… and Riven seemed to know something.

"That's our Sun. Angie was right… the worlds are merging. How- what do we do?" she asked, in a panic. I shook my head quickly.

"There's gotta be something I can do," I began. I looked down again. Angie moved around, raising her hands to her mouth. "We gotta go get Angie."

"Right," Riven nodded. Everyone stared at us as we ran towards the entrance.

The city stood still. Traffic remained jammed as we ducked and weaved through cars, heading towards where we saw Angie. Everyone was transfixed on the sky and we couldn't blame them. We found ourselves in an open area that was very familiar. It was a grassy field near the marinas. I clenched my fist as I saw a familiar champion.

"There's nothing you can do, summoner."


	35. Save Me

**Almost done guys. c:**

* * *

Despite there not being any fireworks yet, there was no lack of loud noises. The park was filled with hundreds of families… including our own families. While there was a bit of a language barrier between them, they could communicate well with a bit of help from Nicole.

He laid a few inches away from me, crossing his arms behind his head to protect from the concrete.

"Can't believe it's July, time is flying by this summer," he said, yawning. "I'll be a twenty two year old freshman soon."

"Hey, that's what you wanted. Can you not complain for a day?" I said, sarcastically. He smirked.

"I could complain alot more with you around," he said; I hit him as we shared a laugh. He quickly went back to silence and I internally sighed.

This had become a normality for us; anytime we seemed to be back to normal, things became silent. He was probably thinking of her and I couldn't blame him… No, I shouldn't, not couldn't. I hated that he did but I shouldn't. She was my friend too.

"You miss her, don't you?" I eventually said, as he shrugged. "Don't bullshit me, I know you."

"There's a reason I had to delete most of my Tegan and Sara songs," He began, sitting up. His almost unchanging black shirt and checkered shorts, ruined by his battered work shoes because he was lazy. "Time heals all wounds, right?"

"That's what they say, at least," I said, crossing my legs. They were pretty much asleep; I began to feel the needles. "Doesn't violence solve things too? I could punch you a bunch."

"You already do that anyway," he said, which was semi-true. "I usually deserve them though, I won't lie."

"At least you know you're a jerk," I quickly added.

The silence was back. The world stood as still as the ocean before us. I could push him in… No, I promised Irelia. She said to not be angry at him. I miss her too… She was cute. Maybe I should've dated her… Wait, I'm not into women…

"None of this would've happened if you hadn't sent them back," I said, as he stared forward. "You saved the world, remember? Or at least stopped a tyrannical bird guy from taking over."

"You're talking like you didn't help. Gotta stay humble though, that's always important," he said, nodding. I pushed him slightly and yawned. "Tired already?"

"No, I'm fine. It's weird. This is the only holiday Riven didn't experience, right?" I asked. He scratched his chin.

"Yeah, actually. Thanksgiving was pretty awkward but she experienced it," he said, with a smile. "Why?"

"Just wondering. I can miss her too, right?" I asked, as he nodded.

"Let's just… stop talking about it," he began. "We're supposed to be here enjoying fireworks."

"They haven't even started yet," I said, looking at my phone. An ignored text continually bothering me as I looked at the time. "Soon though."

The silence again. I clenched my fist and stood up. He stared at me.

"Quit being depressed!" I said. A few people stared; he looked around nervously like he usually did. He stood up and grabbed my arm.

* * *

We stood surrounded by cars, somehow away from the huge crowd of people by the beach. He held my arm and looked at me.

"Not today, please," he said, looking at me. His dark brown eyes usually lacked emotion but not today. "I'm trying."

"I know. Usually making a scene gets a reaction from you," I said, quietly. I smiled. "I know we're not together but at least act like we're friends."

"Shut up, you're being dramatic again," he said, with a familiar sigh.

"You told me what she said to you. You're breaking your promise to her," I said. He nodded. We began to walk.

"Someone you spent every minute with not being there anymore… I thought those sappy posts only applied to annoying college girls," he said. I stopped. Once he noticed, he turned to me. I swung my hand towards his face.

"I've been living that nightmare as long as you have. I'm trying to make you feel better but you continually blow me off to be alone. I haven't had a friend as close as you… Ever. I want my Riley back. The one who hated being dragged placed but always smiled when I asked him stuff. The guy who made my week's worth the wait for the weekend…"

"I'm sorry. I forgot how needy my best friend was, I guess," he said, with a small smile. "I'll try harder. You deserve that from me."

"I do. I'm the best girl in your life again," I said, grinning. I put a finger to my lips. "Actually, I always was."

"Heh… you're a girl?" he joked, as I hit him.

"You'd know, you idiot," I said, sarcastically.

We sat on a bench near a playground, which surprisingly was empty. The fireworks began booming in the skyline. The flurry of colors was beautiful; my head naturally fell onto his shoulder and our hands intertwined.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I said.

"It's nice. I never really came out to these things," he said.

"Well, it is. Thanks for coming then, Mr. Gloomy," I said, closing my eyes. He shook me slightly.

"Anytime, Jessica."

* * *

"Let her go!"

His voice echoed through my skull. I reached out to him but my arms didn't move. The memories played through my head vividly. Riven stood beside him, holding him back. What was I doing? Please help me, only you can help me.

You're my best friend...I love you.


	36. Saved

**I can finally stop feeling guilty about not updating as much. Hope you guys enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If anyone needs any help with any stories, feel free to PM me, I've been looking for something to get my spark back. **

**Anyways, enjoy, thanks again for joining me on this ride. c:**

* * *

Riven and I stood across from Angie, who's malicious grin brought back memories of a former encounter. She stood beside a few familiar champions and one who I didn't recognize.

"Like hell it's too late," I said, angrily. "Let her go!"

"Sadly, she is of use to us right now. This world is strange; a human is needed to awaken a champions true potential," Swain said. Riven held her sword and stared at me. "I suppose summoners aren't a bad thing… When they're under control."

"I can at least take one down," Riven said. I shook my head slightly.

"There's gotta be a better way," I said, looking around. Aside from Swain, their group consisted of LeBlanc, Darius, Morgana, and a masked man in a white poncho who held a strange revolver in his hand. I bit my lip and LeBlanc winked at me, sending shivers down my spine. "There's always been a way…"

"Take your time. Don't lose your focus," Riven said, keeping her stance in front of me.

I looked around again. The area was empty, the skies were beginning to thunder, and Angie was being controlled by a team of Champions set to take over our world. The good news were that I had Riven but no weapon of my own… I grabbed the stone around my neck. We needed help, now more than ever. I gripped the stone tightly as my hand began to glow.

"Heh, I got some magic left in me," I said, smirking. I extended my hand. I closed my eyes and remembered some of my companions from the past year. I thought of a group to match theirs but my head began to pound after a few seconds. I fell to one knee as Riven blocked Darius' axe a few feet in front of me. Once I opened my eyes, I heard the sound of steam as Darius' face looked angrier.

"Not today, punks," Vi's cocky voice said, as Riven pulled me up.

"Are you okay?" Riven asked me. I nodded.

"Of course. I might have to stay back in this one," I said, looking around. Vi raised one hand towards me. The rest of the champions I summoned greeted me in their own way; Caitlyn, Lux, and Irelia. The last one came towards me.

"It is so good to see you again… I would rather it had been in a different scenario," she said, turning towards Riven. "You as well, friend."

"I see why one summoner controls one champion now," I said, mostly to myself. I held my head as Riven ran forward with Irelia.

Caitlyn, Lux, and Vi split off into a group. Caitlyn stayed behind Vi, popping off shots when she could. The masked champion shot slower than her but seemed to do more damage as Vi raised her arms in defense after three shots. Whenever Lux seemed to throw her Light Binding, Morgana would protect the target before Darius moved forward. Lux shifted her focus on protect Vi with her shield.

Irelia kept her distance from LeBlanc. Whichever made the wrong move first would surely lose their duel. When Irelia took a step forward, LeBlanc threw a magic chain. After a second, Irelia couldn't move and LeBlanc dashed forward to the smirking Ionian. When the mage for close enough, Italia broke herself free from the chains and moved her blades together, stunning the woman while taking a bit of damage herself.

Riven dashed forward, slicing towards the Noxian leader with her shattered sword. She moved by his attempts to stun her but her face cringed as she tanked the rest of his damaging spells. The more my group seemed to attack, the more tired I began to feel. Five champions were borrowing whatever little magic I seemed to have. I looked across towards Angie, who they seemed to be using for the same reason despite her standing normally. I had to help her… Like she always had helped me.

I slowly walked forward, trying to keep my balance. Whenever a Noxian champion seemed to notice me, their counterpart would keep them away. Swain moved towards me and Riven quickly swung her sword at his chest. Blood shone on the green sword as I continued walking.

"This will just continue, Riven. You'll never be able to run away for war. We both know this," Swain said. His voice sounded like he was in pain… Good. Her arm was stained in red as she continued pushing the sword towards his chest. He continued to talk but I stopped hearing any words as I stood a few inches from the girl.

"Angie… let's go home already," I sighed. I reached for her hand before looking past her. Darius swung his axe over my head.

"Riley, no!" Riven shrieked as Swain held her arms.

My hand shot up towards the blade. I wasn't about to lose now. My hand began to glow as the blade impacted with me. I felt pain and saw blood cover my hand but the axe had stopped. I pushed back, knocking the Noxian back. I grabbed Angie's hand with my free hand.

"Angie, come on. Walk this way," I said, quietly. She followed me, leaning on my shoulder. Vi had control on Darius again as I tended to my friend.

"Did you…" she began, stopping to cough. She slapped me weakly with a small smile. "Did you really just quote Aerosmith?"

"I would never do that," I said, smiling. "Stay here… I have to finish this."

"Okay but hurry, I'm hungry again."

* * *

Riven tossed the Noxian general on the ground. His powers were weakening from the lack of a summoner. She held him down with her foot as I moved beside her.

"Sorry my world has caused you so much trouble, Summoner," Riven said. I shrugged.

"Hey, I'd do it again for another year with you, easy," I said, crossing my arms behind my head. "Well, maybe minus the broken bones but I would in a heartbeat."

"This world is pathetic anyway. Humans are nothing but sources of strength for us anyway," Swain said, as Riven kicked him again.

"We've beat you like, three times now. I get you're a great strategist but you're a terrible fighter," I said, feeling a heavy hand pat me.

"And you're stupid too!" Vi added, placing Darius and the masked marksman near Swain. Morgana and LeBlanc soon joined them as my group surrounded me. Irelia stared at me.

"Hopefully we didn't interrupt something," She said, jokingly. I nodded.

"It was just getting romantic," I said, kneeling down. "Guess this is goodbye for good. Don't come back a year from now or this'll just happen again."

"You little-" Swain growled, extending his arm towards me. Riven put more pressure on him.

"Oops," she said, sarcastically.

I put my arm on the ground. A ring formed around the Noxian champions and soon after my allies entered the ring. Well, all but one. Irelia waved as the light blinded me.

"Goodbye, Summoner."

I fell from one knee onto the ground. Riven sat beside me with her sword between us. I raised my injured arm.

"God, I'll never hear the end of this from my mom. I bet I'll somehow get scolded for not having good enough magic I never knew I had," I said, as Riven nodded.

"She won't have to worry anymore. It's finally going to be over… Hopefully," Riven said, staring up. The sky was still torn but hopefully it would be fixed for good once Riven leaves. I laid down and put my head on her lap.

"Wasn't expecting to go through this again. Now I'll need another week off to mope," I sighed. She smiled and rubbed my hair.

"I'll always cherish our time together. It's changed my outlook to have some time away from constant fighting. I think I can help change things back on my side now… Instead of just following commands and waiting," she said, kissing my forehead. She grabbed her sword and I noticed the bracelet I gave her tied around the hilt.

"Thank you, Riley. For everything you've done."

* * *

I never knew how much time had passed but after my last memory, I remember being woken up by a police officer while laying on the middle of the street. The sky was darkening but clear as it could be. The man tried calling an ambulance but I insisted I was okay but he wouldn't let me leave until someone came to get me.

I ended up sitting on a curb till Angie sat beside me. We both threw away the idea of keeping this a secret from our parents right then and there as we shared a laugh.

Eventually our parents came to get us as everything seemed fine. The cop insisted that someone drive me home so I reluctantly threw my keys towards Nicole. Angie ended up going with her parents and my mom insisted on coming with my sister and I.

After that, everything returned to normal. I had a cool bandaged hand everyone asked about, to my annoyance. It also got me out of harder labor at work so that was a plus. I walked towards the fridge and saw Angie sitting on the living room table, drinking a glass of chocolate milk and eating a croissant.

"Hey, those were mine," I said. She pulled them away when I reached for them.

"Get your own. I earned them for waiting for you to wake up," she said, sticking her tongue out. "Want to watch a movie? I got us snacks."

"Why are you eating my breakfast if you brought snacks…" I began. I shook my head. "Sure, whatever you want."

"I've also hears about another convention happening in Miami this December, we need to start thinking of cosplays," she continued as I sat on the couch. She moved next to me. "The Persona group said they'd be there too… Are you okay?"

"Tired. I'm doing better than I was the first time," I said, yawning. "But seriously, mostly tired. I have no idea how you have so much energy so early."

"It's 3 pm, you bum."

We both laughed as I put something on the TV and she rested her head on my shoulder. Everything was back to normal.

I hoped there were no more loose ends but I doubt Riven would let that happen. I couldn't wait to return to the game. I would never see it the same way again but I was sure I'd definitely be bronze again. I smirked.

"And thank you Riven, for all you've done."


End file.
